After two years talking and discussing, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the country’s Consulate in Mombasa have this year decided to give their Kenyan counterparts, real life experience of what The Pearl of Africa offers.
“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,” a Ugandan official said.
The real life experience has already started, but officially, November 20 will be the historic date when Uganda for the first time hosts the Uganda- Kenya Coast Tourism Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The first two conferences were held in Kenya – 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 who will work out a strategy for joint promotion of tourism between Uganda and Kenya Coast.
The conference will 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.
Another key objective will be to promote regional tourism, and popularize the Entebbe – Mombasa route operated by the Uganda Airlines. 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 have started 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.
Souce: ATTA
