Kenya welcomed 576 tourists who have arrived at the Port of Mombasa aboard cruise ship, MS Nautica, marking the first cruise ship arrival to the country 2018. Kenya Tourism Board Betty Radier said in a statement that the cruise ship arrived in the tourism resort city from Zanzibar and is scheduled to make a one-day stop before it sails onward to Mahe Island in the Seychelles. The arrival of MS Nautica portrays the uniqueness of Mombasa as a port of call, especially considering that Mombasa is the only port in the region where disembarking passengers can get to go on safari within the short duration of their stop. Tsavo East and West is just 200 kilometers three hours’ drive from Mombasa port. One night in Tsavo provides extensive game drive and if time permits, precedes to Amboseli National park the home to large herds of African Elephants.
kenya welcomes 576 tourists aboard first cruise ship in 2018 and have vowed to develop and promote cruise tourism instead of relying solely on beach and safari for marketing. Kenya is a destination with diverse and rich tourism attractions and is today a renowned tourist brand in the world market. During one day stop, the tourists are expected to visit Tsavo and Amboseli National Park and also tour various parts of Mombasa, including the iconic Fort Jesus, a historical site in Mombasa.
The welcoming of 576 tourists aboard first cruise ship in 2018 of the cruise ship comes barely a fortnight after MS Silver Spirit, a luxury cruise ship with 472 passengers on board, made its stop in Mombasa. Shimba Hills National Park, Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park as well as Amboseli National Park are among the national parks that are within easy reach of cruise ship travelers arriving in Mombasa.
Kenya Welcomes 576 Tourists aboard First Cruise Ship In 2018
MS Nautica, which is operated by a US-based shipping company Oceania Cruises, arrived in Mombasa from Zanzibar on Thursday with 576 tourists and 395 crew members. In November, MS Nautica brought to Mombasa more than 1,000 visitors and crew while MS Silver Spirit came with more than 800 visitors. There are signs that it will be a good cruise tourism year for Kenya partly with the arrival of a luxury ship at the port of Mombasa on Thursday carrying 971 passengers and crew.
MS Nautica, which is operated by a US-based shipping company Oceania Cruises, arrived in Mombasa from Zanzibar with 576 tourists and 395 crew members. The visitors were expected to depart on Thursday evening for Mahe, Seychelles. In November, MS Nautica brought to Mombasa more than 1,000 visitors and crew while MS Silver Spirit came with more than 800 visitors.
Majority of the international holidaymakers were from the United States and the United Kingdom while others were from Germany, Australia, France, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and South Africa. Upon arrival, some tourists flew to the famous Amboseli National Park for game drives while others remained on Mombasa Island for sight-seeing.
An American holidaymaker Daniel Dole and his wife Yvette said they were happy to arrive in Kenya for first time. The couple headed to Amboseli for game viewing, saying they were keen on lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards and buffaloes. For years, we had planned to visit this beautiful country, which is world famous for safari. We can’t wait to get to Amboseli to view wildlife in their natural habitat,” the American tourists explained.
Mr. Dole said they would in the near future return for a longer holiday for an opportunity to explore and learn about the local culture. An Australian couple John Judd and Karan, said it had visited Kenya for game viewing and also for tour of Mombasa city. We are excited to come to Mombasa for holiday. We love this beautiful city due to its rich historical culture and welcoming people,” they added.
Mr. Judd said they would visit Mombasa’s popular monument Fort Jesus, the Old Town and cultural centers to learn the Swahili culture. A US couple from New Mexico, Kar Mueller and Marion, noted that they were in Kenya for the second time. We first visited Kenya 17 years ago. We are thrilled to be back so that we can see new development, new faces and culture,” the tourists said. Kenya Tourism Board chief executive Betty Radier in an earlier interview said the arrival of MS Nautica indicated that cruise tourism was recovering after other cruise ships came to Mombasa two months ago. “It is quite encouraging that we have started the year with the first cruise ship visiting Mombasa. Our efforts of marketing Mombasa in overseas markets is paying off,” she added.
Mombasa destination, she added, had gained fame globally due to its beaches, friendly people and tropical weather. “The tourism hub is also closer to Tsavo East and West National Parks, the Shimba Hills Game Reserve in Kwale and the Arabuko Sokoke Forest in Kilifi, which is popular for bird watching,” she added.
Kenya’s core tourism products have been focused on beach and safari owing to the country’s extended coast line of 480 kilometers and abundance of wildlife. However, the growing competitive nature of tourism and the continuously evolving tastes and preferences of consumers, the country’s promoted products have been enriched to include adventure, culture, ecotourism, sports, golf, birding and business.
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