Introduction
The rising popularity of cruise tourism is projecting influence over the preferred tourist destinations by travel operators, and as such the East African coast has become a crucial partner for cruise liners to diversify its travel itineraries. In early February 2025, Kenya received the largest cruise liner dubbed “Norwegian Dawn” at the Port of Mombasa. It was the first cruise vessel to dock in the country this year.
The vessel, which measures 294 m long, hailed from Seychelles and carried tourists from an estimated 54 countries. It had a capacity of 1,100 crew members and 2,220 tourists. This highlights a growing interest in the cruise tourism industry in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and hence the need to upscale its lifeline and transform port infrastructures.
The African embrace of intra-regional integration continues to accelerate economic undertakings in the continental markets, with growing awareness of regional tourism. In the East African region, this has been exemplified by the influx of tourists in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda through strengthening of cultural engagements and cultivation of sustainable partnerships. However, the vulnerability of “overtourism” or responsible tourism partnership referred to by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as tourism management interactions and significant stress impact on the communities versus the tourists’ aspirations1 has also shaped the momentum for the EAC region to rebuild its potential for cruise tourism. This was boosted by the 2024 World Travel Market (WTM) held in London which initiated strategic discussions of promoting cross-continental cohesion between Africa and the Caribbean Islands as part of enhancing the economic dividends of cruise tourism.
According to the 2024 Cruise Industry Report, the volume of global cruise passengers grew from 29.7 million in 2019 to 31.7 million in 2023. The trend for global cruise capacity for guests was 733,010 in 2024 and is projected to likely increase to 824,000 by 2027, raising high stakes for the industry actors2. With this annual increase in cruise tourism and the cruise lines seeking access to new destinations, the EAC will need to position itself to benefit from this growing industry. This commentary explores challenges that EAC member states will need to collaboratively address in order to boost benefits from cruise tourism.
Key Issues
a. Improve Cruise Tourism Infrastructure
The potential for cruise tourism in the EAC region can be underscored by annual growth in cruise and passenger volume. In Kenya, cruise tourism experienced a remarkable increase in cruise tourists from 2,490 in 2023 to 6,561 in 2024. Additionally, the Port of Mombasa was recognized in 2017 by the World Travel Awards as a leading cruise facility in Africa. This recognition is pivotal in positioning the coastal nations in the region to foster economic growth through developing world-class port facilities and enhancing cruise facilities.
The Port of Mombasa in Kenya and the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania are expected to receive several grand cruise liners from the period of 2025 to 2026 with clear dates and arrival and departure timelines. While the latter lacks a dedicated cruise terminal which compels cruise ships to dock in different berths and also limits its capacity to manage tourist traffic, the former has a dedicated cruise terminal located at the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa which accommodates larger cruise vessels, provides enriched tourist experience and has proximity to an international airport.
So far, cruise ship tourism across the EAC region has boosted earnings for the member states, with Kenya recording Kes452.20 billion in 2024 from Kes377.49 billion in 2023, registering a 19.79 percent increase. Similar significant increase has also been witnessed in Uganda and Tanzania, with an increase of 9.4 percent and 8.4 percent respectively. The EAC region’s cruise tourism interests encompass visits to heritage sites, captivating natural landscapes and wildlife, national parks, shore excursions, safari experiences, water sport activities in the stunning coastlines, and acquisition of local crafts and souvenirs. This is complemented by the ideal tropical climate.
The region has pursued several joint tourism agreements to promote cruise tourism. The Cruise Indian Ocean Association (CIOA), was established to promote cruise tourism in the South and East Indian Ocean region and is doing well. Another joint engagement guiding the activities of tourism is the EAC Tourism Marketing Strategy, which provides a platform for member states in the region to cooperatively promote their sites of tourist attraction with favorable rates for the EAC communities; stimulate unconventional accommodation facilities, and offer luxury hotel facilities. While such cooperation efforts are expected to boost current opportunities, it is the infrastructural challenges in partner states that impede the regional development of the trade. There is therefore a need for countries in the region to invest and improve cruise travel-related facilities for optimal benefit from the industry
b. Forge Cross-Continental Integration and Cruise Itineraries
In a bid to further develop regional and continental integration within the cruise industry, the EAC region should consider aligning its cruise development goals with those of Caribbean states, recognized as a leading cruise tourism destinations. According to the 2024 State of the Cruise Industry report, the Caribbean region gained one million cruise visitors in the year 2023, leading to a large increase in cruise passenger volume compared to 2019. Kenya, as an EAC member state, recorded 2.4 million tourists in 2023, attributed to cruise tourism and global conferences.
The Caribbean region, according to global ranking, comprises numerous heritage and cultural sites and national parks that outperform other continents’ universal value. Hence, the similarity of attractiveness between the EAC and Caribbean natural heritages provides an opportunity to forge cross-continental Integration and Cruise Itineraries that are beneficial to both regions and avoid competition.
A good example is the signing of an all-African Cruise experience in February 2022 by the cruise liner dubbed “Royal Caribbean” in collaboration with Xperts, a DRC-based travel company and Silverbird, an African-based media group. This catalyzes a “knock on” effect in the cross continental integration and complements the existing cruise itineraries in the African circuit comprising of Seychelles to Madagascar to Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar to Mombasa route, Indian Ocean Island circuit, Arabian Gulf and the Peninsula. More of this integration and harmonization of travel itineraries between the two destinations is key in boosting crize tourism in the EAC region.
c. Address Insecurity in the Indian Ocean
The threat of piracy on the Indian Ocean poses security threats across the cruise tourism connectivity routes. Attacks by pirates, characterized by armed robberies and hijacking of the shipping vessels, including taking crew passengers as hostages and firing directly at the ships has a serious impact on the trade. Commendably, a report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) indicates a reduction in piracy levels and armed robberies in the year 2024, citing 79 incidents in the first two quarters of the year compared to 99 incidents in 2023. This has triggered consultations between the International Migration Organization (IMO) and the various shipping stakeholders to remove the status of Indian Ocean High Risk Area (HRA), which was effected in January 2023 with serious implications to cruise tourism in the EAC region. The EAC region should therefore collaboratively identify and address security hot spots and emerging maritime crimes in the Indian Ocean that may reverse the gains of stability following the decline in piracy.
d. Joint EAC Marketing Strategies
The deployment of digital capabilities across the world increasingly promotes the flow of information that can be applied to the tourism ecosystem as well. The EAC region should capitalize on suave strategies to market the cruise sector. In so doing, the EAC member states will jointly promote their tourist destinations and transit routes.
Conclusion
The commentary concludes that for EAC countries to jointly benefit from cruise tourism, there is a need to work together to invest and improve tourism infrastructure in member states. There is also a need to forge cross-continent integration with Caribbean states to align their cruise itineraries, while addressing insecurity in the Indian Ocean. There is also a need for EAC member states to adopt joint marketing strategies to boost cruise tourism for optimal gains in future.
Recommendations
- Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife in EAC member states to collaboratively develop cruise tourism–related facilities through enhanced port infrastructure investments and development.
- Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy in EAC member states to collaboratively conduct joint capacity-building initiatives in market strategies that will advance cruise tourism.
- The EAC member states should seek to align their cruise itineraries with those of Caribbean states to reduce competition and promote mutual benefits.
- EAC member states should develop joint strategies to address insecurity in the Indian Ocean as it impacts cruise tourism.
Refrences
- https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284420070
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/301582/passenger-capacity-of-the-global-cruise-industry/
- https://tri.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TRI-Tourism-Sector-Performance-Report-2024.pdf
- https://www.worldtravelawards.com/award-africas-leading-cruise-port-2017
- https://crew-center.com/mombasa-kenya-cruise-ship-schedule
- https://oralseastafrica.news/cruise-ship-conferences-attract-a-record-2-4-million-tourists-into-kenya/
- https://maritimafrica.com/en/new-report-highlights-continued-threat-of-somali-piracy/
- https://iccwbo.org/news-publications/news/maritime-crime-and-piracy-incidents-lowest-since-1994-but-threats-to-crews-remain/
- https://safety4sea.com/removal-of-the-indian-ocean-high-risk-area-key-considerations-for-ship-operators/