East Africa to Form Joint Tourism Body

East Africa to Form Joint Tourism Body

All East African countries are positively working together in order to market East Africa as one tourism destination. However, Kenya is actively pursuing a tourism marketing strategy that will present the East Africa region as one tourist destination, says tourism Minister Najib Balala. This is especially so in the international trade fairs, collection of tourism statistics, taxation regimes and training.

Though Kenya faces stiff competition from Tanzania as a tourist destination of choice in the East African region. The two countries are locked in a tight scramble for international tourists and revenue, even as East African Community partner states prepare to market the region as a single tourist destination. On addition, even Uganda gained reaffirmed itself as East Africa’s number one tourist destination at the year 2008 World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition held at Excel London from November – East African safari

Of late, the East African Legislative Assembly wants the five countries under the East African Community to manage their tourism and wildlife sectors jointly in the East African Community Tourism and Wildlife Management Bill, 2008. The assembly seeks to establish a commission to coordinate the development of the sector in the region and this is aimed to harmonise the national policies, laws, regulations and standards concerning tourism and wildlife. The private member’s Bill moved by Safina Kwekwe Tsungu (Kenya), was yesterday read for the second and third times in the House, chaired by the Speaker, Abdulrahin Abdi.

The Bill was supported by the members, but with a few amendments proposed by the committee on agriculture, tourism, and natural resources.Tsungu said sustainable tourism development requires deliberate and concerted common policies, which will guide and facilitate the actions of the respective governments and private sectors. “It is imperative to charge this responsibility through the relevant legislation to a legally constituted framework that defines the parameters to work out and coordinate the cooperation areas in the income-generating sector in the region,” she said.

Kate Kamba (Tanzania) said the region was endowed with enormous natural resources, whose management is burdened by bureaucracy among the member countries.

She said wild animals wonder across borders and, therefore, it is essential that the East African countries manage wildlife together. For example the Rushegura gorilla family crossed from Uganda to Rwanda and DRC and this is evidenced by the report which was made by the Uganda Wildlife Authority that “the Rushegura gorilla group moved from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national Park into the DRC Congo on the 1st of September 2008”.
The was statement was confirmed by the Executive Director of Uganda Wildlife Authority Moses Mapesa and as a result, groups booked for the Rushegura group were n diverted to the Bitukura group in Ruhija and Nshongi group. The Uganda wildlife authority concluded by saying,” We need a united policy to protect the wildlife and manage the transport sector, which is vital in the tourism industry.” This meant that Uganda is very ready to work hand in hand with other countries in order to protect and conserve natural tourism resources.

Gervase Akhaabi (Kenya) said tourism provides a large proportion of employment and comparative management of the industry has an advantage to the region. “It is important that we recognize tourism as important in our agenda of improving the economic wellbeing of our people, which is a core objective for the community,” he said.

Therefore, one shouldn’t hesitate to support the development and conservation of the tourism industry in East Africa and this can be done through investing in un developed tourism potentials in the region, visiting the region attractions and also funding the developing projects with in the region.

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