Kenya tour operators now welcome to Tanzania

East African Affairs Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie (front right) with her counterparts from Uganda and Tanzania

NAIROBI, KENYA: Kenya has finally resolved a long-standing dispute with Tanzania, which initially restricted her tour operators from dropping off tourists to sites within the neighbouring country. The breakthrough was realised by East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie during a two-day stakeholders meeting in Arusha, Tanzania.
While Tanzanian operators have been dropping off tourists to Kenyan towns, including the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, the Tanzanian authorities had restricted their Kenyan counterparts to dropping off their tourists in Arusha, Dodoma, Moshi, Musoma and border towns of Namanga, Isebania and Lungalunga. During the talks which were concluded on Thursday, Kenya and Tanzania agreed to fully implement a bilateral agreement signed between the two countries in 1985. The agreement spells out how tour operators will conduct their business across the borders. The agreement also outlines among other things the drop and pick up points for tourists visiting both countries. The two countries however agreed to hold a bilateral meeting in the coming months in order to update the agreement to incorporate emerging issues. Kandie has hailed the progress, terming it “a win-win situation for all”. “The arrangement will encourage private sector to private sector partnership between the operators in the two countries. This is timely and in accordance with the introduction of a single regional visa.” On the sidelines of the meeting on “Issues on Tourism and Wildlife Management”, Kenya and Uganda held exploratory talks to prepare grounds for a proposed bilateral meeting which will lead to the signing a bilateral agreement on tourism and wildlife management.

NAIROBI, KENYA: Kenya has finally resolved a long-standing dispute with Tanzania, which initially restricted her tour operators from dropping off tourists to sites within the neighbouring country. The breakthrough was realised by East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie during a two-day stakeholders meeting in Arusha, Tanzania. While Tanzanian operators have been dropping off tourists to Kenyan towns, including the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, the Tanzanian authorities had restricted their Kenyan counterparts to dropping off their tourists in Arusha, Dodoma, Moshi, Musoma and border towns of Namanga, Isebania and Lungalunga. During the talks which were concluded on Thursday, Kenya and Tanzania agreed to fully implement a bilateral agreement signed between the two countries in 1985. The agreement spells out how tour operators will conduct their business across the borders. The agreement also outlines among other things the drop and pick up points for tourists visiting both countries. The two countries however agreed to hold a bilateral meeting in the coming months in order to update the agreement to incorporate emerging issues. Kandie has hailed the progress, terming it “a win-win situation for all”. “The arrangement will encourage private sector to private sector partnership between the operators in the two countries. This is timely and in accordance with the introduction of a single regional visa.” On the sidelines of the meeting on “Issues on Tourism and Wildlife Management”, Kenya and Uganda held exploratory talks to prepare grounds for a proposed bilateral meeting which will lead to the signing a bilateral agreement on tourism and wildlife management.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000105285/kenya-tour-operators-now-welcome-to-tanzania