Amidst the captivating beauty of Mombasa, passionate tourism professionals from the Uganda and Kenya have today 13th November, 2023 converged for the 2nd Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference, Excursions, and Fam trips.
Hon. Mulimba John, Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in Charge of Regional Cooperation and Hon.Bahinduka Mugarra Martin, the State Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities led a delegation of over 200 Ugandan private and public sector players to the 2nd Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference 2023.
“At the first conference, our Minister of State 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,” Ambassador Paul Mukumbya – Consul General Uganda Consulate/Mombasa.
Ambassador Paul Mukumbya emphasized that following the Minister’s directive the tourism gathering metarmposed into an annual event, thus the 2nd Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference.
The six-day event commenced today with a conference scheduled for November 13th – 14th, 2023, taking place at the stunning Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa.
Under the theme ‘The conference aims to consolidate networks, synergies, and diversity to maximize the tourism potential between Uganda and the Kenya Coastal Region,’ this gathering serves as a sequel to the successful convention held in November 2022 in the bustling Kenyan port city of Mombasa.
During today’s opening ceremony, Hon. John Mulimba emphasized the strategic significance of the conference for both countries. He underscored their untapped potential and highlighted how exploration and global showcasing, catalyzed by platforms like the 2nd Uganda-Kenya Tourism Conference, can propel their growth.
“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.
He added: “On the other hand, the Coastal region of Kenya is endowed several tourism attractions from the historical Fort Jesus, Beautiful Beaches and 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.”
The State Minister, 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.
Mulimba 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.
Furthermore, building upon the theme of the conference, the two-day meeting has specific objectives: 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.
Ambassador 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 Ambassador Mukumbya.
To reinforce Ambassador Mukumbya’s concept, H.E. 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.”
To support a comprehensive understanding of the region’s heritage and foster cross-border tourism between the two nations.
Ambassador Paul 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.”
Excursions along the Kenyan Coast have been organized, scheduled to take place from November 15th to 18th, 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 22nd November to 3rd December 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.
Statistics
A tourism concept note indicated
Uganda-Kenya Tourism Exchange (2022): Kenyan Visitors to Uganda (Januray-March 2022): Nearly 95,000
▪︎ Reasons for Visits to Uganda: Sporting events (Golf and Rugby tournaments), festivals, music concerts, among others
In his concluding remarks, 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.
Hon. Mulimba emphasized: “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”
The distinguished attendees were:
From Kenya:
- H.E. Chirema Kombo – Deputy Governor, Kwale County
- Clara Ningome Chonga – CECM, Tourism, Trade, and Cooperative Development, Kilifi County
- Mohamed Osman – CCM, Tourism Culture, Mombasa
- Gloria Monikombo – CC Tourism, Taita Taveta County.
From Uganda:
- Mr. Vincent Waiswa Bagiire – Permanent Secretary
- Mr. Stephen Asiimwe – Executive Director, Private Sector Foundation Uganda
- Hon. Norah Bigirwa – Village ice Chairperson, Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of Uganda.
The Conference is organized by the Consulate General of Uganda in Mombasa, with the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda (PSFU) taking the lead for the private sector, while the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) take the lead for the Ugandan government. At the Coast, the organization and hosting are being spearheaded by the County Government of Kwale and Destination Diani.