Kenya’s cruise tourism industry has maintained its growth trajectory despite concerns that the recent US-Iran conflict could disrupt maritime travel, after the luxury cruise ship Viking Yi Dun docked at the Port of Mombasa on Monday with 717 tourists and crew from 12 nationalities.
The vessel arrived from Victoria in Mahé, Seychelles, and later departed for Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Its arrival marked the ninth cruise ship to call at the Port of Mombasa this year, reinforcing optimism among tourism and maritime stakeholders that Kenya remains an attractive cruise destination despite heightened security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto said the country expects at least 20 cruise vessels by the end of the year.
“This is the ninth cruise vessel to call at the Port of Mombasa in the first half of the year, and we expect at least 20 cruise ships by the end of the year. The growing number of vessels demonstrates increasing confidence in Kenya as a cruise destination,” he said while receiving the ship at the Mombasa Cruise Terminal.
Captain Ruto said Kenya was increasingly attracting cruise vessels from different parts of the world, including Asia, reflecting the growing appeal of its coastal tourism products. He, however, said the short duration of cruise stopovers continued to limit the industry’s economic benefits.
“One day is not enough for visitors to fully experience what Kenya has to offer. We would like to see cruise passengers spending more time in the country because longer stays translate into greater spending on hotels, transport, shopping and excursions,” he said.
Tourism stakeholders said the steady flow of cruise arrivals reflected renewed confidence in Kenya’s tourism sector but called for policy interventions to encourage longer itineraries.
Tourists are entertained by traditional dancers after disembarking from MS Viking Yidun cruise ship which docked at the Port of Mombasa with more than 1,000 tourists on June 30 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
Pollmans Tours and Safaris chairman Mohammed Hersi said most cruise passengers spend less than a day in the country, denying them opportunities to visit national parks and other inland attractions.
“It is encouraging that we are now receiving cruise ships almost every month. These visitors experience our hospitality and many return later for longer holidays. Unfortunately, because most ships stay for only one day, tourists have no opportunity to visit our national parks or enjoy extended safari packages,” he said.
Mr Hersi attributed the recent increase in tourist arrivals partly to the government’s visa-on-arrival policy, saying it had improved Kenya’s competitiveness in the global tourism market.
However, he urged the government to pursue diplomatic efforts to have Kenya removed from the World Health Organisation’s list of yellow fever endemic countries, arguing that the classification discourages longer cruise visits.
According to Mr Hersi, cruise passengers intending to remain in Kenya for more than 48 hours are required to produce yellow fever vaccination certificates or risk quarantine at their next destination.
“This puts Kenya at a disadvantage compared to Tanzania, which is not classified as a yellow fever endemic zone and therefore attracts longer cruise itineraries,” he said.
Passengers aboard the Viking Yi Dun were welcomed by KPA officials before leaving for excursions to tourist attractions across the Coast.
The ship’s master, Captain Alex Sehlstedt, said passengers were looking forward to experiencing Kenya’s culture, wildlife and historical sites during their visit.
More cruise vessels are expected to call at the ports of Mombasa, Lamu and Shimoni later this year as Kenya seeks to expand cruise tourism and increase international visitor arrivals.
