Following the success of the inaugural Uganda-Kenya Coast Conference which happened in November 2022, the organizing entities – Kenya Coast and the Ugandan Consulate in Mombasa under the leadership of HE Ambassador Paul Mukumbya are conducting yet another conference to further bolster tourism in the two countries.
Launched on August 22nd in Uganda, the conference themed “Consolidating Networks, Synergies and Diversity to Maximize the Tourism Potential between Uganda and Kenya Coastal Region” starts on Monday November 13th, ending on November 18th 2023.
The week-long event has various activities lined up including; key note speeches from government officials, the private sector, Business to Business engagements, panel discussions as well as a showcase of what the two destinations have in terms of tourism offerings.
According to tourism stakeholders in Uganda, the excursions and fam trips under the Uganda-Kenya Coast collaboration are aimed at increasing the number of visitors for destination Uganda, showcasing what Uganda has to offer especially to tourists visiting the Kenyan Coast and devising complementary tour packages between the two destinations.
“A number of marketing and promotional activities are being undertaken to market destination Uganda. These include but not limited to tourism expos and shows. The destination has been represented at numerous tourism expos including the World Travel Market in London among others,” a communique from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities reads in part.
“The game is seen to have changed as the marketing trends have been seen to shift to tapping into what is already a ready market. And this opportunity is presented by the Kenya coast. In line with commercial diplomacy and the tourism development program objective of increasing the visitor numbers, the Ugandan consulate in Mombasa under the leadership of HE Ambassador Mukumbya noticed the opportunity available and organized the inaugural Uganda Kenya Coast conference and excursions in November 2022,” the communique further states.
This collaboration, the stakeholder say, is also in line with the EAC Integration agenda that seeks to promote East Africa as a single destination.
The specific objectives of the second Uganda-Kenya Coast conference and excursions running from 13th to 18th November 2023 in Mombasa County with subsequent visits to Uganda thereafter are;
- To assess the progress made in the cooperation between Uganda and Kenya Coast since the 2022 Conference.
- To create more awareness about the two destinations and the tourism products they offer.
- To enhance the synergies and complementarity between key tourism players from Uganda and the Kenya coastal region.
- To explore investment opportunities in the tourism sector in Uganda; provide a platform for B2B networking, leaning and information sharing.
- To equip the key tourism players from Uganda and the Kenya coastal region with first-hand experience of the key tourism attractions so that they are in better position to market these attractions.
- To promote and popularize the Entebbe-Mombasa route operated by the Uganda Airlines.
A team from Uganda comprising mostly of tourism private sector players through their umbrella associations in the Uganda Tourism Association, Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), The Uganda Association of Travel Agents (TUGATA), Hotel and General Managers Association of Uganda (HOGMAU), independent tour operators, members of the media and government representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MFPED), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to mention but a few set out today 12th November 2023 to Mombasa, Kenya aboard Uganda Airlines for the conference.
It should be noted that Uganda Airlines runs direct flights between Mombasa and Entebbe three times a week.
Key expectations from the team include; creating synergies with their Kenya Coast counterparts especially on how to compliment the product offering at the Coast of sun, Sea and Sand with the nature-based product from Uganda.
The discussions will be streamed live for the online audience via the links;