The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) and the Uganda Association of Travel Agents (TUGATA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cross-border tourism business, as visitor movements between the two countries surpassed 750,000 in 2025.
The agreement, signed during the fifth Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit in Mombasa, establishes a framework for cooperation between travel agents in the two markets, with a focus on business partnerships, market access, innovation and the development of regional travel products.
The partnership comes as Kenya and Uganda record growing visitor flows in both directions, creating opportunities for travel agencies and tourism businesses to capture a larger share of regional travel expenditure.
Ugandan arrivals to Kenya increased by 16.3 per cent, from 201,623 in 2024 to 234,556 in 2025, according to Kenya Tourism Board figures. In the opposite direction, Kenyan visitors to Uganda rose by 11.2 per cent, from 466,902 to 519,041, according to Uganda Tourism Board data.
Combined, the two markets recorded 753,597 cross-border visitor arrivals in 2025. The figures point to an established regional travel market, although they represent movements in both directions rather than unique individuals.
Uganda is particularly important to Kenya’s tourism industry, accounting for approximately 31 per cent of arrivals from African markets and ranking among the country’s leading regional source markets.
For Kenya’s travel trade, the growth presents an opportunity to develop packages that extend beyond traditional destination boundaries. Uganda’s mountain gorillas, wildlife reserves, adventure tourism and cultural attractions offer a natural complement to Kenya’s coastal resorts, marine parks and safari circuit.
A traveller could combine a wildlife experience in Uganda with a coastal holiday in Mombasa, while Kenyan visitors to Uganda offer opportunities for agencies to sell gorilla trekking, nature-based tourism and other experiences.
The commercial opportunity, however, extends beyond packaging destinations together. Travel agents on both sides can establish direct supplier relationships, widen their distribution networks and reduce reliance on intermediaries when sourcing accommodation, transport and destination experiences.
KATA Honorary Secretary Margaret Gitonga signed the agreement on behalf of the Kenyan association. The signing took place in the presence of Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Susan Nakawuki, and Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, Ambassador Herbert Kiguli.
KATA board members Grace Wairimu and Patrick Maina Kamanga also attended the engagement, with Kamanga representing the association’s Coast region.
The agreement builds on efforts by the two associations to strengthen business-to-business relationships between their members and create opportunities for Kenyan travel sellers to connect with Ugandan tourism suppliers.
Technology investment also emerged as a central issue during the summit, particularly as travel businesses face changing customer expectations and increasing competition in the distribution of tourism products.
Gitonga, speaking during a panel discussion on tourism, technology and investment, urged travel agencies to invest more substantially in technology, including systems that improve the ability of employees to serve clients.
“We must invest in technology. I encourage my peers (Travel Agents) to substantively invest in technology to enable even our employees to better serve clients,” she said.
For travel agencies, technology investment has implications for how quickly they respond to enquiries, compare travel options, manage bookings and distribute products across different markets. Stronger digital capabilities could also make it easier for Kenyan and Ugandan businesses to collaborate on itineraries and manage bookings involving multiple destinations.
The economic significance of the partnership is reinforced by the wider performance of the two tourism sectors. Kenya generated approximately Sh501.3 billion in tourism earnings in 2025, while Uganda recorded tourism receipts of about Sh5.83 trillion Ugandan shillings, equivalent to US$1.62 billion.
Uganda received 1.64 million international visitors during the year, representing growth of 19.7 per cent, according to its Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. Kenya, meanwhile, received 2.7 million international visitors, alongside 5.2 million domestic travellers.
These figures illustrate the scale of the tourism economies the two countries can connect through stronger regional trade.
However, increased visitor numbers do not automatically translate into higher earnings for individual businesses. The ability to convert demand into bookings will depend on the availability of competitive packages, reliable transport connections, affordable travel and effective cooperation among tourism suppliers.
The Mombasa summit brought together policymakers, tourism associations, travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers and other private sector players to discuss regional tourism development, innovation, investment and mobility.
For the Kenya Coast, stronger engagement with Uganda offers an opportunity to deepen its regional visitor base beyond traditional international source markets. Direct relationships with Ugandan travel agents could help coastal hotels, resorts, tour operators and transport providers access customers through established distribution channels.
The partnership also creates room for reciprocal promotion of destinations, allowing Kenyan travel businesses to market Uganda while their Ugandan counterparts expand the reach of Kenya’s coastal and safari products.
The challenge now is to translate the memorandum into measurable commercial outcomes, including new supplier agreements, jointly developed itineraries, increased bookings and stronger business relationships between members.
With more than 750,000 recorded visitor movements between the two countries in a single year, the Kenya–Uganda tourism relationship already has a substantial market foundation. The success of the agreement will depend on how effectively the two travel trade associations turn those flows into sustained business for their members.