Due to Azimio’s protests, a cruise ship carrying roughly 1,000 visitors that was scheduled to arrive at the Port of Mombasa altered its location, costing Kenya Sh80 million in lost revenue.
Peninah Malonza, the tourism secretary general, said the ship was supposed to arrive in March but that it was postponed because of protests.
“My ministry endured severe setbacks. About 1000 tourists can board this small-to-medium cruise ship, she said.
The CS stated that given that the Sh80 million is an estimate of what tourists would have spent at hotels, parks, and historical sites, the loss might be significant.
According to her, six jobs are supported by every one tourist, so they could have lost a lot more. Malonza revealed that 3,667 guests from four cruise ships have docked at the Port of Mombasa since January of last year. MV World Odyssey, which delivered 800 passengers, and MV Nautica, which transported 572 tourists, are two examples.
In January, a different MV Odyssey docked with 795 passengers, and in February, MV World Artania docked with 1500 passengers. But there are rumors that one that was scheduled to dock for four to five days last month was moved to Zanzibar because of protests, she said. On Wednesday, she spoke in response to queries from lawmakers in Parliament.