HOLIDAY BAZAAR LAUNCHES THE FIRST CRUISE SHOP TARGETING THE KENYAN MARKET
(Posted 31st July 2019)
Holiday Bazaar, a specialist agency in tailor made holidays, yesterday announced the launch of Cruise And Travel Planners, the first fully-fledged and flagship cruise shop in Kenya. The tailored offering will provide cruise travel packages specifically targeting the Kenyan traveller, from some of the most renowned cruise liners globally.
The opening was attended by Helen Beck Vice President, International Sales and Marketing from Crystal Cruises and Thoyabah Ahmed Khan & Seymour Brugger, Sales & Marketing representatives from Royal Caribbean. Directors of Holiday Bazaar & Cruise and Travel Planners was Nishma and Jinal Shah were also present at the launch.
Cruise holiday bookings have been on the increase in Kenya. Holiday Bazaar, who have been selling cruise packages for the past two decades in Kenya already, has seen exponential growth over the last several years, with initial cruise bookings ranging from no more than 20 guests annually to now exceeding 1000 guests.
Cruises make for an attractive travel offering for the upper-middle-class Kenyan for a number of reasons:
- An all-inclusive holiday without having to worry about managing accommodation, meals and entertainment.
- The ability to travel to multiple destinations at one go.
- The convenience of not having to pack and unpack or go through tedious immigration processes.
- Accommodate multiple generations from grandparents to parents, teens and even young children with ease.
Some of the more popular destinations with Kenyans include the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and an increasing trend towards sailing around the Indian Ocean to exotic islands such as Seychelles and Mauritius.
Nishma Shah of Holiday Bazaar, noted “We see a huge demand for cruise tourism domestically. Kenyan travellers cannot get enough of the experience. With a 99.9% satisfaction guaranteed, it makes for an attractive holiday package regardless of age. With our expertise in understanding the local market coupled with our unique partnerships with the likes of Royal Caribbean and Crystal Cruises, we are able to offer an unparalleled cruise booking service not currently available in Kenya.”
Seymour Brugges, of Royal Caribbean, comments, “Cruises come in a host of packages and price points. From the affordable and value-for-money starting at US$150 per person per day for a 7-night cruise to a $500 per person per day luxurious option. Cruise And Travel Planners are able to accommodate all of these options.”
The trend in cruise tourism is on the rise in East Africa as Kenya is set to become the second major African mainland destination for international cruise ships, after Egypt. This is in part due to the construction of the new cruise terminal in Mombasa, which is anticipated to open in 2020.
The most popular cruise destinations for now however remain the Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion and Madagascar, all member of the Vanilla Island organization which has been a key driver to increase cruise business connecting these Indian Ocean islands.
