Uganda’s Consulate General in Mombasa Ambassador Paul Mukumbya has secured a partnership with Kenya’s coastal Tourism Association to organize the first Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference and Exhibition set for 20th to 28th November.
While addressing the delegates at the Kenyan Coast, Amb. Mukumbya revealed the conference theme is ‘Strengthening networks synergies and diversity to maximize tourism potential between Uganda and Kenya Coast region.’
Amb. Mukumbya said that both countries will benefit from tourist arrivals to each country stating that Kenyan Coast has a number of beaches that are bigger than the ones in Uganda, but Uganda has beautiful mountain gorillas and night life in Kampala which is not at the coast, and this needs to be bench-marked.
“Uganda has completely different tourism products from Kenya and yet there are so many travelers who come to the coast,” Mukumbya said.
He added that the exhibition preparatory plans started in June and thanked the stakeholders at the Coast for accepting the conference.
“We thought that it was high time we created partnership between the Tourism sectors of Kenya and Uganda,” added Mukumbya.
He indicated that as government, their role is to provide a conducive environment for private sector to do business, and that’s what they are doing.
The chairman of Kenya Coast Tourism Association Victor M. Shitakha, called upon the regional tourism stakeholders to seize the opportunity of Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference, Exhibition and FAM Trip to enhance regional tourism trade and Investment.
Shitakha said that the conference will provide opportunity for a structured disclosure towards developing Kenyan Coast Tourism and circuit where foreign tourists to the region can visit both the two nations under one circuit whole also accelerating cross border tourism.
“This conference is historical because it is the first ever regional tourism conference and business to business engagement, we are hosting at the Kenya Coast,” Shitakha said.
He added that Uganda is one of Kenya’s major trading partners and tourism source markets, given the two nations enjoy mutual and peaceful co-existence that supports growth of regional economy.
Uganda in 2021 registered 512,945 tourism arrivals, 326,387 of which 63.6% were coming from Kenya.
