Mombasa County leadership and local tourism players have called for the waiver of the visa fees of $50 (Sh7,400) per person imposed on foreign passengers arriving in the country on cruise liners. The waiver, according to tourism players, will encourage more arrivals of tourists into the country.

Foreign passengers arriving in Kenya on cruise ships do not need a visa if they are not leaving the ship to enter Kenya.

However, foreign passengers who have to remain in the country for more than 24 hours need a Kenyan transit visa.

They must apply for a transit visa on the official website of the Kenyan immigration department. The transit visa for Kenya allows a foreigner going to another destination to remain in the country for 72 hours. They are also allowed to step out of the international transiting area and explore the country.

Speaking at Treasury square during the commemoration of World Tourism Day in Mombasa, Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said he has written to the Ministry of Tourism asking for the removal or a waiver of the visa fees, saying it has remained a stumbling block to more cruise vessels.

“Cruise ships when entering the coastlines, people are not charged visa fees in other countries, because they contribute immensely to the local economies of the cities they visit, this is not discouraging,” he said. Nassir noted that Mombasa has the potential to unleash its true potential and that can only be achieved if the government removes the issue of visa issuance to cruise ships, ahead of the giant ship arrival in February next year.

He added: “We have written to the relevant ministry demanding a waiver of the Visa fees, to all tourist cruise ship vessels coming to Mombasa because when they arrive, they bring a lot of foreign currency to the local economies.”

In a raft of new demands the players have also appealed for the restoration of open sky policy to allow more chartered and direct flights from the globe land at the Moi international airport without restrictions.
“We are asking for an open sky policy, not partial but wholly, so that when you open the skies, you unleash the potential of Mombasa, because this will open up other regions for business, we need to work together, and achieve this.”

“If you look at the numbers 30 per cent of Mombasa visitors coming to Mombasa are tourists, 26.8 per cent are coming for conferencing, promoting MICE tourism, so many love Mombasa and we should encourage them to come,” said Nassir.

Former Kenya Tourism Federation Chairman Mohamed Hersi said the sector is on an upward trajectory with a 12.5 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) prospects in 2023-24. America leads with high tourism arrivals in Mombasa, followed by Uganda, Tanzania, UK, India among others.
“I would like to make it clear that tourism is contributing 10.39 per cent to the GDP by the research institute figures and the central bank, accordingly, this year inshallah, we will contribute to 12.5 per cent to the GDP,,” he said.
According to Hersi, the growth has been attributed by the introduction of Condor Airlines, which has been a charter flight that is now coming as a scheduled flight. Lufthansa is now connecting Mombasa to the city of Frankfurt with five flights direct from Mombasa.
– Harrison Kivisu