NAIROBI (Xinhua)– Kenyan authorities on Monday said they would develop and promote cruise tourism to diversify the beach and safari-oriented tourism. Presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu said President Uhuru Kenyatta would on Tuesday open the English Point Marina, an iconic landmark in the coastal city of Mombasa as part of efforts to diversify tourism. “English Point Marina will put Kenya on the map of the luxury yacht market and the investment is set to open up Kenya to the high-end international ocean traveler,” Esipisu said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

The 4-acre ocean view, multi-million dollar marina resort features a 26-room hotel, conferencing facility, a roof-top restaurant and 96 serviced apartments as well as a boardwalk with retail outlets, water-sports centre and fully-serviced 88-berth marina. Esipisu said Kenya is a destination with diverse and rich tourism attractions. The East African nation’s best year for cruise tourism was 2011 when Kenya had more than 1,200 tourist arrivals by sea. The negative growth in the sector was mainly attributed to piracy across the Indian Ocean, but piracy in recent years has been on the decline thanks to enhanced security.

Esipisu said the Jubilee Administration has identified tourism as one of the key economic pillars in Kenya’s Vision 2030 and is launching several investment opportunities such as resort cities, hotels, eco-lodges, conference facilities, and marinas as part of our tourism flagship projects. Kenya’s coastal tourism sector has continued to see a rise in numbers as six cruise ships arrived in Mombasa with more than 3,000 tourists and crew during the December holidays. The good fortune is set to continue well during the year, according to the shipping schedule prepared by the Kenya Ports Authority.
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Source: Cost Week

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