The world's largest floating book fair, MV Logos Hope, has today made a historic maiden call at the port of Mombasa.
Dubbed 'the floating library', the vessel docked at the Mbaraki Wharf at 0930hrs with a selection of over 5000 different titles of books aboard.
Sailing under the Malta flag, MV Logos Hope has a length of 132.5 meters, a width of 20.8, a draft of 5.2 meters and a carrying capacity of 12,519 Gross tonnes. Onboard the vessel are 350 passengers of 65 different nationalities.
MV Logos Hope will open her doors to members of the public to select books of their choice from a wide array of genres, including science, sports, hobbies, language, faith, cookery arts and purchase medicine.
For 45 days, members of the public will be treated to the fun of touring the expansive vessel to explore other amenities like the international cafe, visitors deck and welcome area, among others.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director, Captain William Ruto, has hailed the anticipated arrival of the vessel, terming it significant not only for the port of Mombasa but the country at large.
He noted that the ship's visit implied that Kenya is making progress towards reclaiming her position as a cruise hub in the Indian Ocean cruise circuit.
"As a port authority, we have made significant strides to improve cruise reception facilities, notably completion of a modern cruise terminal, a dredged channel, improved security and safety standards in compliance with the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) code." He added.
Captain Ruto commended Inchcape Shipping Agent for the exemplary arrangement to bring the ship to Mombasa.
"We also wish to thank other partners who have worked tirelessly to ensure a successful voyage to Mombasa by Mv Logos Hope," he said.
KPA has developed a modern cruise terminal that has significantly boosted Kenya's capacity and competitiveness for cruise tourism in the continent.
The state-of-the-art cruise terminal is built to modern standards complete with various amenities including duty-free shops, restaurants, conference facilities, passenger baggage areas, and offices for key stakeholders in the industry.
Mv Logos Hope was built 50 years ago as a passenger car ferry and was first named Gustav Vasa sailing North Atlantic routes.
In 1983, the ship changed hands to the Smyril Line and was renamed Norrona, sailing between the Faroe Islands and Denmark.
By 2004 the previous GBA Ships (Good Book for All) had raised sufficient funds to acquire the vessel, and she underwent extensive renovations for her new role.
Logos Hope's visit to Kenya has been organized in partnership with KPA, Inchcape, the County Government of Mombasa and the Kenya Tourism Board.
In the recent cruise tourism circuit season that ended in April this year, the Port of Mombasa received four vessel calls carrying over 4000 passengers.
The famous Cruise Liner World Odyssey, also known as Semester at Sea' operate the world, passengers visited and sampled tourist sites like Fort Jesus, Haller Park, and the Tsavo National Park, boosting the tourism industry.
