Tourism participants from Kenya and Uganda met and committed to partner with the aim of maximize the tourism potential in both countries.
This happened in a meeting that was held in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa at an event dubbed ‘Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference and Exhibition’.
The three-day engagement, was held under the mantra “Strengthening networks, synergies, and diversity to maximize the tourism potential between Uganda and the Kenya Coastal Region” started on Tuesday November, 17.
The conference was organized by the Uganda’s Consul General to Mombasa, Ambassador Paul Mukumbya, engagements are aimed at creating partnerships between key players in the tourism sectors of Uganda and the Kenya Coast.
“As clearly spelt out, Uganda’s tourist arrivals in 2021 stood at 512,945. Out these, 326,387 were from Kenya, which translates to 63.63% of all arrivals in Uganda. Between January and March 2022, close to 95,000 Kenyans visited Uganda for various reasons. There is increasing demand for Kenyan visitors to Uganda due to various events that have taken place in Kampala such as Golf and Rugby tournaments, festivals, music concerts among others,” he said.
The numbers can even go higher if the tourism player countries work together and build network and synergies.
The ambassador added that “a significant number of tourists from Europe, America and beyond visit the Kenya coast annually to enjoy the various tourism products related to the coast. These tourists normally end their trips at the coast, yet there are many other completely different attractions in Uganda that would complement each other and give the tourists a fulfilling experience.”
Victor Shitakha the chairman of Kenya Coast Tourism Association told participants that the conference was historic because it was the first ever regional tourism conference and business to business engagement hosted at the Kenya Coast.
“It is also important to note that both the Kenya coast and Uganda offer unique memorable and complimenting experiences. I therefore call upon the regional tourism stakeholders to seize the opportunity and work together in enhancing the regional tourism trade and investment,” he said.
The conference was also aims at equipping key tourism players with first-hand experience of the key tourism attractions. Which can be vital in enabling tourism key players on how to better market these attractions.
Promotion and popularization of the Entebbe-Mombasa route plied by Uganda Airlines shall also form part of the talking points.
He added that this conference offers an opportunity for a structured discourse towards developing Kenya Coast tourism and Uganda circuit where foreign tourists to the region can visit both the two nations under one circuit while also accelerating cross-border tourism.
At the same event Hon. John Mulimba, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Affairs noted that “the importance of tourism in our economies cannot be underestimated. It is insurmountable.”
According to analysts, these numbers can even go higher once the tourism players in the two countries join hands.
