Uganda has been chosen to host the next edition of the East Africa Regional Travel Expo (EARTE), an annual tourism and travel fair that seeks to promote EAC as a single tourism destination.
This was announced during the third edition of the EARTE which is underway, alongside the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE), in Kenya at the Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi.
The EARTE and MKTE event is themed “Tourism for Green Growth”.
The East Africa Regional Tourism Expo is also aimed at providing a platform for tourism service providers’ business to business (B2B) engagements, creating awareness on tourism investment opportunities and addressing the challenges affecting the tourism and wildlife sectors in the region.
Its inception followed a decision that arose from a meeting held by the EAC Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management. The first and second Regional Tourism Expos were hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Burundi in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Kenya is the third host and Uganda will be taking over for the 2024 edition.
Speaking during the event, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs who is leading the Ugandan delegation alongside the State Minister for Tourism Hon. Martin Mugarra, said the East African Community member states ought to exploit the natural resources the region is endowed with such as the shared Lake Victoria to develop unique tourism products that tourists can come to East Africa for.
“There are opportunities that we are not using at all. What are we doing with Lake Victoria, absolutely nothing. We always say Kenya owns a bit of it, Tanzania owns a bigger part and Uganda, so what? We need to utilize these features to promote the region,” Kadaga said.
Her remarks were seconded by Kenya’s Tourism and Wildlife Minister Dr. Alfred Mutua who mooted a marine tourism product that would have cruise ships sailing across Lake Victoria, giving tourists a tour of the numerous Islands such as Migingo and connecting to Mwanza.
Dr. Mutua also emphasized the need for tour operators to mind the age ranges of the prospect clientele for targeted marketing, noting that most tourists are in their younger years and want more adventure but at a cost that allows them to have their penny’s worth.
“We need to create a circuit that can allow tourists to get 10 or 7 or 8 for the price of one. Our responsibility is to market the region,” he said.
In his remarks, Minister Mugarra noted that East Africa as a region has a lot to market including the three highest mountains on the continent which offer numerous tourist activities that would draw in huge numbers of visitors.
He added that the region has a diversified range of products to offer including the snow capped mountains, the beautiful coastal beaches, rainforests, the vibrant safaris and wildlife, rich culture, historical sights among other captivating features.
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Giving his remarks at the Expo, Uganda Tourism Board’s Deputy CEO Bradford Ochieng said Uganda is targeting established and emerging overseas markets, continental, regional and domestic markets for a wholistic marketing strategy.
He noted that initiatives like the EAC Tourist Visa and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are bolstering intra-region travel and generally boosting tourism in the region.
The EARTE is hosted by the EAC member states on a rotational basis.