Kenneth Kazibwe
Speaking during the opening ceremony on Monday, Uganda's Consul General in Mombasa, Amb. Paul Mukumbya emphasized that the conference is a big opportunity for both countries.
"At the first conference, our minister (Mulimba) recommended that this be an annual event, so we had no choice. For us, we thought we were organizing a one-off event, but the minister, in his wisdom, saw a very big opportunity," Amb. Mukumbya said.
He noted that following the minister's directive, the tourism gathering metarmposed into an annual event, thus the conference.
Speaking during the opening ceremony on Monday, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, John Mulimba noted that the conference is strategically significant for both countries in a bid to highlight a number of untapped potential.
"As you are aware, Uganda is endowed with unique safaris, rich cultural and historical heritage, a variety of attractions of flora and fauna, including the mountain gorillas, tree climbing lions and over 1063 bird species in national parks and protected areas spread across the country," Mulimba said.
"On the other hand, the coastal region of Kenya is endowed several tourism attractions from the historical Fort Jesus, beautiful beaches , resorts, marine national parks, elephant sanctuary, the Dolphins, wildlife parks, slave caves and sacred forests, Vasco Da Gama Fort in Malindi, white sands, the coral reefs, diving and snorkeling among others."
Mulimba however, noted that there is still lack of enough information in as far as the tourism products of the two countries are concerned.
"A big section of the population, including tourism stakeholders, is not aware of the rich and diverse products in each other's countries, even when the two countries remain each other's top tourist source markets," said Mulimba.
He called on the tourism stakeholders to raise awareness about the tourism products in both countries to foster the increase of tourist numbers between Uganda and Kenya.
The two day meeting is also meant to assess progress since the 2022 conference, evaluate destination products, enhance synergies among key tourism players, explore investment opportunities, facilitate business networking, and promote the Entebbe-Mombasa Uganda Airlines route.
Additionally, it will offer participants a firsthand experience of attractions.
Amb. Mukumbya explained that the tourism conference operates on a model of complementarity, not competition.
He pointed out that both countries have unique tourism products that cannot be duplicated, but can be complemented to boost tourism numbers in both Uganda and Kenya.
"Uganda doesn't have beaches like the ones we see here. We also have some things we call beaches, but they are not quite comparable to what we have here. We don't have Fort Jesus, and we are not about to create one. We don't have Vasco Da Gama's pillar, and we are not about to create one. What do we have in Uganda? We have the mountain gorillas, and please, Kenyans, these monkeys and whatever they are, are not about to turn into mountain gorillas. Even with evolution, they will not become mountain gorillas," said Mukumbya said.
To reinforce Amb. Mukumbya's concept, Fatuma Achani, Governor of Kwale County, emphasized, "The conference theme depicts the importance of building synergies and complementarity based on the different tourism products bought by Uganda and Kenya cost."
Ambassador Mukumbya highlighted that, "Last year after the conference, we took Ugandans who came for the conference on excursions at the coast here in Diani, in Mombasa and Malindi. Then, after the conference, we took some Kenyans to Uganda on a fam trip to experience these products, so that when they are selling, they're selling something they have experienced."
As part of this conference, excursions along the Kenyan Coast have been organized, scheduled to take place from November 15 to 18, 2023, right after the conference.
This will provide the 200-strong Ugandan delegation with the opportunity to experience and relax on the pristine beaches of Diani, Bamburi, and Nyali.
Water sports enthusiasts and adventure lovers to participate in activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, kite surfing, deep-sea fishing, dolphin-watching tours, and coral reef exploration.
For those interested in culture, to explore Swahili cuisine and traditions, visit old towns, and local markets. These trips will ultimately position the participants better to market these attractions.
In return, a familiarization trip to Uganda from November, 22 to December, 3 2023 has been scheduled.
The trip will include visits to cultural and religious sites, such as the Ndere Centre and the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine.
It will also cover heritage and wildlife parks including the source of the Nile, Bwindi National Park, and Murchison Falls.
Additionally, the Kenyan coastal delegation will have the opportunity to experience the urban nightlife and other diverse tourism offerings.
The Minister of State, John Mulimba, expressed optimism that a strong and vibrant tourism sector between the two East African countries can facilitate an increase in tourism figures.
"We can move beyond the 370,000 Kenyans who visited Uganda last year, and the 150,000 Ugandans who visited Kenya last year. All we need is to work together, to ensure that we make this partnership work"