Strengthening Uganda-Kenya Tourism Ties: The Third Annual Coast Conference

For the third year running, the ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Uganda Consulate Mombasa and key stakeholders in the tourism sector in Uganda and the Kenya Coast have been organizing the Uganda- Kenya Coast Tourism Conference.  The first conference was held in November 2022 in Mombasa and the second one in November 2023 in Diani, Kwale County.

The third conference will be held on 20th– 21st November 2024 at Speke Resort Munyonyo, under the theme “The Uganda- Kenya Coast partnership: Promoting job creation, inclusivity and sustainability”. The Conference will be attended by over 500 public and private tourism stakeholders from Uganda, Kenya and beyond.

The main objectives of the partnership between Uganda and the Kenya Coast are:

  1. To map/ work out a strategy for joint promotion between Uganda and Kenya Coast.
  2. To enhance awareness about the complementarity between the two destinations and the tourism products they offer;
  3. To strengthen synergies between key tourism players from Uganda and the Kenya coastal region;
  4. To address barriers and challenges to the partnership between Uganda and Kenya Coast.
  5. To explore investment opportunities in the tourism sector in Uganda;
  6. To give participants an opportunity to experience the tourism products in each of the two destinations so that they are better equipped to promote them;
  7. To assess the progress made in the cooperation between Uganda and Kenya Coast since the last two Conferences;
  8. To provide a platform for B2B networking, learning and information sharing;
  9. To equip the key tourism players from Uganda and the Kenya coastal region with first-hand experiences of the key tourism attractions so that they are in better position to market these attractions;  
  10. To promote and popularize the Entebbe – Mombasa route operated by the Uganda Airlines.
  11. To use golf as a game that can grow the tourist arrivals in the two destinations.
  12. To promote regional tourism.

An assessment of how far we have gone in achieving the objectives indicates the following:

  1. Increased awareness about Uganda and Kenya Coast destinations as well as the products they offer created.  This awareness leads to increase in the number of visitors.

At the beginning of the partnership with Kenya Coast tourism stakeholders, we observed that very few of them, and Kenyans generally, knew about Uganda’s tourism products.  For mountain gorillas, many of them confessed that they used to sell Rwanda.  This is despite the fact that Kenya is the number one source market for tourists to Uganda.

  1. Synergies between key tourism players from Uganda and the Kenya Coastal region built and enhanced.  
  2. Opportunities in joint marketing of the tourism products of Uganda and Kenya Coast explored.  Joint itineraries between tour operators in Uganda and the Kenya have been developed.  Trust has been built between them at a personal and organisational level.
  3. Platform for B2B networking, learning and information sharing provided.  There is a WhatsApp group to which both Ugandan and Kenyan tourism stakeholders belong.  The group currently has 250 members who regularly share information/inquiries/business opportunities.
  4. Key tourism players from Uganda and the Kenya Coastal region equipped with first- hand experience of the key tourism attractions so that they are in better position to the market attractions.

Experiencing the tourism products first hand empowers them to promote and sell the products from a point of knowledge and experience.

  1. Entebbe- Mombasa route operated by Uganda Airlines, promoted and popularized.

More awareness has been created about the route that is currently being operated by only Uganda Airlines.  The existence of this connection is a big facilitator of the partnership because of its convenience. Previously, the only available air connection to Uganda from the Kenya Coast was by Kenya Airways, through Nairobi.

Ahead of the Conference, seventy (70) tourism stakeholders from Kenya will participate in a familiarization trip to Uganda from 8th – 18th November 2024 where they will visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semliki Hot Springs, Source of the Nile and Namugongo Martyrs Museum A golf tournament between Uganda and Kenya will be held on 9th November 2024 at Kampala Golf Club.

The partnership between Uganda and the Kenya Coast is built on the concept of complementarity.  We realise that the two destinations have unique, different products that can be jointly promoted.  Whereas Uganda has unique products like the mountain gorillas, the chimpazees, the adventure tourism on River Nile, the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo and the Murchison Falls, the Kenya Coast, on the other hand, has the beautiful beaches and historical sites like Fort Jesus and Vasco da Gama Pillar.  The unique products call for cooperation rather than competition. The resultant effect is a win-win where the tourists who visit the two destinations get to see more on the same itinerary.  This also means that they are staying longer and spending more time in the two destinations.

The Main Speakers during the Conference will be: Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka, Minister of State for Tourism, Ms. Doreen Katusiime, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Mr. John Ololtuaa, Principal Secretary, State Department for Tourism, Republic of Kenya, Ms. Pearl H. Kakooza, Board Chair, Uganda Tourism Board, Mr. Stephen Asiimwe, CEO, Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Mr. Frank Gisa Mugisha, CEO, East Africa Tourism Platform, Mr. Fred Kaigua, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Association of Tour Operators, Mr. Nicanor Sabula, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Association of Travel Agents.

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