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| Mount Kilimanjaro-Tanzania |
Ministers in charge of tourism dockets in Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda are meeting in Arusha to discuss issues affecting the industry
in the region.
Among key issues to be discussed includes the single tourist visa,
insecurity, disparities in fees charged and cross border cooperation in
wildlife law enforcement.
A statement from the EAC secretariat says the five-day meeting will
also agree on cooperation and support in addressing multi-lateral
environment agreements.
Efforts by the East Africa Community to market the region as an ideal
tourist destination have been beset by various challenges hindering the
process.
Key among them are requirements for multiple entry visa for visitors
to partner states, denying entry of tourist vehicles registered in other
partner states, harassment of driver guides at the border crossing into
another partner state, disparities in fees charged, cross border
cooperation in wildlife law enforcement, cooperation and support in
addressing multi-lateral environment agreements.
Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda raised their concern on their tour operators
being denied entry into either country in 3rd and 4th Meeting of the
Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management in February 2010 and
in September, 2011.
The EAC secretariat thus requested each partner state to present
their issues in writing to the secretariat so as to enable coordination
of the meeting between the three partner states.
The Arusha meeting will also discuss how to effectively involve other
sectors to improve and enhance cooperation in Tourism and Wildlife
Management sectors in the community.
A single tourist visa is expected to increase the number of tourists
visiting the region since visitors will now pay 100 dollars for a 90-day
multiple entry visa that takes them to all the three countries instead
of 150 dollars that was required by each country.
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