Cross-border tour operators have played a key role in ensuring that the tourism sector in the East African Community (EAC) fully recovers from the effects of the different global events over the past couple of years by selling the region as one destination.
By giving tourists diversified products cutting across partner states, cross-border tour operators play a key role in retaining tourists within the region and this is what has catalyzed the rebounding and recovery of tourism in the region.
Considering that cross-border operators are a channel for the holiday experience, it’s easy to see that they’re vital in the travel and tourism industry for a particular area. They bring in tourists with several options – including those on self-drive trips and those on guided safaris, which naturally boosts the consumer side of travel and tourism. But on top of this, it provides more long-term employment for people in the travel and tourism industry of the given area, as more consumers would naturally give rise to the need for more travel agents.
The tour operators, who have taken advantage of the single EAC tourist visa, have contributed to the diversification of tourism beyond traditional 4×4 safari holidays – joint promotion of the region as member states look to revamp the EAC region as a single tourism destination.
During the 3rd EAC Regional Tourism Expo (EARTE’23) and the Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi, Kenya that attended by regional Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs and Tourism and Wildlife Management as well as industry captains in late last year.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary in charge of Tourism and Wildlife, Dr. Alfred Mutua, who was also the Chief Guest, said that the Expo has brought together over 100 hosted buyers and 300 exhibitors, including tour operators, providing an opportunity for the region to jointly showcase its unique resources.
“This year’s theme, ‘Tourism for Green Growth,’ underscores our commitment to sustainable tourism. Kenya is set to introduce initiatives such as electric cars in parks and eco-rating schemes in our quest to propel tourism and our green growth agenda,” he said.
Dr. Mutua added that the Kenyan government is focusing on infrastructure improvement, security, incentives and marketing campaigns to sustain tourism growth.
“As part of our five-year plan, we target 5.5 million international tourist arrivals and a $6.3 billion annual contribution by 2028,” said Dr. Mutua.
Hon Rebecca Kadaga, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Minister for EAC Affairs, at the launch explained that it was critical for the region to make use of its natural resources such as Lake Victoria and also cross-border opportunities which offer tourists more.
“Fast-tracking of the EAC Single Tourism Visa is critical to sell the region as a single tourism investment hub. I also urge the Partner States to fast-track the development of the EAC Tourism and Wildlife Protocol,” she said.
Speaking at the launch, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Annette Ssemuwemba, said that regional tourism has been on an upward trajectory after recovering from the effects of the pandemic.
“As we diversify our tourism markets, increasing the range of our tourism product offerings is inevitable. Whereas we are quite competitive in terms of beach and wildlife safari tourism, we are urging all EAC Partner States to diversify their tourism products,” said the Deputy Secretary General.
Ssemuwemba said that the EAC is collaborating with Partner States to develop other products such as cultural tourism, sport tourism, agro-tourism, and golf tourism among others.
As tourism industry continues to recover Tourist arrivals to the East African Community (EAC) bloc are anticipated to soar to a record 14.5 million come 2025.
This will more than double the number of foreign visitors to the region which stood at 7.2 million in 2019, before Covid-19 outbreak.
The EAC has attributed the quick rebound of the tourism sector from the pangs of Covid-19 pandemic to diversification of tourism in relation to how tourists would prefer to conduct their holidays
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