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 TOURISM CONFERENCE 

Uganda's foreign affairs state minister John Mulimba has underscored Uganda and Kenya's untapped tourism potential and highlighted how exploration and global showcasing can propel their growth.

He was speaking at the opening of the second edition of the Uganda-Kenya Tourism Conference in Mombasa, Kenya on Monday.

Passionate tourism professionals from Uganda and Kenya converged for the two-day conference happening at Diani Reef Beach Resort & Spa’s Diani Reef Convention Centre.

A 200-strong Ugandan delegation of private and public sector players is attending the conference, led by Mulimba and tourism state minister Martin Bahinduka Mugarra.

After the conference ends on Tuesday, the Ugandan delegation will immerse themselves in a variety of coastal excursions and experiences. That will make it altogether a six-day event, including the conference.

"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," said Amb. Paul Mukumbya, Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa.

The meeting is themed: 'Consolidating networks, synergies and diversity to maximize the tourism potential between Uganda and Kenya coastal region.'

It serves as a sequel to the successful convention held in November 2022 again in Kenya's bustling port city of Mombasa. 

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 tourism ministry, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) taking the lead for the Uganda government.

In Mombasa, the organization and hosting is being spearheaded by the county Government of Kwale and destination Diani.

"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," said Mulimba on Monday.

Mulimba: "On the other hand, the coastal region of Kenya is endowed with several tourism attractions from the historical Fort Jesus, beautiful beaches and resorts, marine national parks, elephant sanctuary, dolphins, wildlife parks, slave caves and sacred forests, Vasco Da Gama Fort in Malindi, white sands, the coral reefs, diving and snorkeling, among others."

However, there is still lack of enough information in as far as the tourism products of the two countries is concerned, he added.

"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."

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.

The two-day conference 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. 

Amb. Mukumbya said the tourism conference operates on a model of complementarity and not competition, adding that both Uganda and Kenya have unique tourism products that cannot be duplicated, but can be complemented to boost tourism numbers.

"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," he said.

"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."

Fatuma Achani, the 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."

Mukumbya added: "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 familiarization trip to experience these products, so that when they are selling, they are selling something they have experienced." 

'Work together'

Excursions along the Kenyan coast have been organized, scheduled to take place from November 15 to 18, right after the conference. 

This will provide the Ugandan delegation with the opportunity to experience and relax on the pristine beaches of Diani, Bamburi, and Nyali. 

Water sports enthusiasts and adventure lovers will participate in activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, kite surfing, deep-sea fishing, dolphin-watching tours, and coral reef exploration.

Those interested in culture will explore Swahili cuisine and traditions, as wel as 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 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.

Minister Mulimba, expressed optimism that a strong and vibrant tourism sector between Uganda and Kenya 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.