Thursday, December 29, 2011
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Kenya had signed a deal with the European Union (EU) to provide security escorts to cruise ships visiting the East African coast, Tourism Minister Najib Balala said Tuesday."The EU will be working with our navy to beef up security so as to attract more tourists," Balala said after receiving Silver Winds, a cruise ship that left Miami, the United States, with 500 tourists on a worldwide tour.
Balala said the ship sailed into Mombasa under tight security by the European Naval Taskforce (EUNAVFOR), which has been offering protection for humanitarian deliveries of relief supplies destined for Somalia.
Silver Wind arrival at the Kenyan coast came as a big tourism boost to Kenya, whose tourism has suffered a decline since September when the Somali militant group, Al-Shabaab, kidnapped tourists in the Lamu archipelago, one of Kenya’s most popular tourist destinations and Spanish humanitarian volunteers at a Kenyan refugee camp.
According to the latest tourist figures, apart from 586 visitors in January to February, Kenya has not witnessed any major tourist arrivals via cruise.
"This can be largely attributed to insecurity in the Indian Ocean.
"Until and unless insecurity is addressed, the once lucrative cruise ship tourism industry is bound to collapse," Balala warned earlier.
The tourists wishing to visit Kenya are forced to pay higher insurance premiums and other liability costs, which make it even less attractive to visitors, according to Balala
Somali pirates are currently holding 200 seafarers, including a woman, hostage, while at least 60 seamen have died in captivity since December 2008.