by Sylvia Mueke
President William Ruto has announced plans to revise visa and Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) requirements for passengers arriving at the Port of Mombasa to boost cruise tourism.
Speaking on Sunday as the MS Norwegian Dawn cruise liner docked with over 3,100 passengers, Ruto revealed that a new multiple-entry eTA would allow tourists to explore Mombasa without needing repeated authorization.
“We will be changing our visa and eTA to make entry into the country easier and seamless so that there is no paperwork or unnecessary delays for visitors,” he said in Mombasa as the cruise liner MS Norwegian Dawn, the largest vessel ever to dock at the port, arrived with more than 3,100 people on board.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano highlighted that Kenya expects eight cruise ships this season, building on a 163.5% increase in cruise visitors from the previous year, which saw 6,561 arrivals.
The government is also investing in port infrastructure to attract more vessels.
With international tourist arrivals growing 15% to 2.4 million in 2024, Ruto encouraged the private sector to expand hospitality facilities to cater to the increasing number of visitors.
“Cruise ships were at an all-time high a few years ago, and then we experienced a slowdown. But last year, we had (about) 6,500 visitors, while this year, we expect the number to rise as we expect another eight cruise ships to dock,” Ruto said.