Uganda-Kenya conference roots for symbiotic partnership for tourism, trade and job creation 

In 2022, 151, 121 Ugandans visited Kenya, making Uganda its second source market after the USA which attracted 209, 360 visitors, according to the Tourism Research Institute Kenya.

Last year, 201, 620 Ugandans visited Kenya while 500, 000 Kenyans visited Uganda. Like that, Uganda is Kenya’s biggest source market of visitors while Kenya also remains the biggest source market for Uganda. 

Lately, embassies have become more intentional about promoting Uganda as a preferred tourism, trade and meetings’ destination in the respective countries in which they are based.

Uganda’s consulate in Mombasa is organising a conference dubbed the ‘Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference, Exhibition, Excursion and Fam Trips 2024’ at Speke Resort Munyonyo on November 20th and 21st this year.

Some 500 tourism stakeholders within East Africa have confirmed their attendance of the two-day conference under the theme, ‘Promoting Job Creation, Inclusivity, and Sustainability’. 

Paul Mukumbya, the consulate general in Mombasa explains that the conference seeks for the Uganda and Kenya to compliment rather than compete with each other, citing that whereas Uganda is endowed with the world’s biggest population of mountain gorillas and is home to 13 primates that continue to attract tourists, Kenya is popular for its pristine leisure coastal beaches.

Mukumbya observes that there are many opportunities for cross-selling between tour operators and business personnel in Uganda and those in Kenya. “We want to see more Kenyans visiting Uganda so we have invited over 50 tour operators and agencies from Kenya who we’ll take on familiarisation trips from 8th to 18th to explore and experience Uganda’s tourism attractions like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorillas, Kibale for chimpanzees, adventure in Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo, and more,” the consulate general discloses.

He adds that there will be city tours in Jinja, Uganda’s adventure capital with rich heritage, and Kampala for its popular nightlife as well as a golf tournament between Kenyan and Ugandan golfers to promote sports tourism. 

Golfers have reasonable disposable income and will be spending at the hotels for their accommodation, meals and tourism activities they will be interested in engaging in the capital city and beyond. 

In august, the consulate engaged online influencers to showcase Uganda to the Kenyans, and the ease for them to get into the Pearl of Africa; they need a visa, no passport but their national identity cards, and don't necessarily have to fly because they can get here by road. 

The two-day conference will have three panel discussions, one of which will be ways of addressing the bottlenecks on promoting regional tourism. There will be presentations made and exhibitions on tourism and culture. 

Uganda’s consulate general in Mombasa, Mukumbya says that he is excited about the support from the private sector. He would like to take the efforts beyond the coast and also have the Kenya High Commission engage a broader audience. The Mombasa consulate was awarded as the best foreign mission during the Ambassadors’ conference in Jinja this year.