Uganda will host the third edition of the Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference on November 20-21, 2024, at Speke Resort Munyonyo, marking the first time the event takes place in Uganda. This landmark event follows two successful conferences held in Kenya over the past two years.
The conference is expected to bring together over 500 public and private tourism stakeholders from Uganda, Kenya, and beyond, to discuss strategies for enhancing tourism collaboration between Uganda and Kenya’s coastal regions. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Uganda-Kenya Coast Partnership: Advancing Job Creation, Inclusivity, and Sustainability.”
Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Consulate in Mombasa, has been working to deepen tourism ties with Kenya. A key objective is to offer Kenyan tourism professionals an immersive experience of Uganda’s key attractions, a move that is expected to help boost awareness of Uganda as a top tourist destination.
“At the start of our partnership with Kenyan stakeholders, it became evident that very few people, including Kenyans, were familiar with Uganda’s tourism products. Many would promote Rwanda for gorilla trekking, despite Kenya being Uganda’s leading source market for tourists,” said a senior official from Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
To ensure tourism professionals are well-equipped to market Uganda, the conference will feature a hands-on experience of Uganda’s leading tourist sites, including Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and more. Additionally, the event will highlight the Entebbe-Mombasa route operated by Uganda Airlines, which offers a new alternative to the traditional Kenya Airways flight via Nairobi.
Ahead of the conference, a group of 70 tourism stakeholders from Kenya is visiting Uganda from November 8 to 18, 2024. The delegation will explore some of Uganda’s premier tourist destinations, including the Source of the Nile and Namugongo Martyrs Museum.
To further strengthen ties between the two nations, a golf tournament between Uganda and Kenya will also take place on November 9, 2024, at Kampala Golf Club.
This historic conference aims to foster deeper regional integration and collaboration between Uganda and Kenya’s tourism sectors, creating new opportunities for job creation and sustainable development in both countries.