News | East Africa Travel Guide

East Africa: Agreement to Open Skies within the Region

Four East Africa countries are in talks to reach an open skies agreement. Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan are in talks to reach a multilateral air service agreement to open the East Africa’s skies.

These four countries are working on an open skies agreement to create one airspace to enhance air connectivity within the region.

According to Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) Director-General, Gilbert Kibe, said Kenya, the countries were jointly working on a multi-lateral air service agreement. If an agreement is reached, the four countries would remove travel restrictions to create one airspace. He reported that “Before the end of this year, we will have the way forward on efforts being made by the four nations to open the skies so that our airlines can operate as domestic carriers,”.

He also established that in February last year, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had signed a document on open skies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, binding the country to implement the policy by 2017.

“For the country to meet the next year’s deadline, we resolved to engage our three neighboring states so that we could work toward realising one airspace,” he said. In October, he added, the Kenyan government would invite players, including those from the tourism and transport industries, for deliberations to design the open skies policy.

The development has been welcomed by various hoteliers and stakeholders. According to the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), it is agreeable that hotels are almost empty as only a few airlines have been licensed to operate scheduled flights to particular airports in the East African region. Perhaps an open sky approach will spur travel within the region, especially in the form of citizens of East Africa visiting other parts of the East African region.

East African states are moving away from marketing individual countries, to pooling resources, and marketing East Africa, as a single tourism destination with the tagline “seamless boarders”, and using incentives like the single tourist visa which permits a traveler to visit Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda under a single visa.

The Construction Of Uganda- Rwanda Highway To Boost Tourism Industry

The government is trying steadily to construct roads leading to Uganda tourist attraction and those connecting to neighboring countries, as we talk now the main Rwanda- Uganda high way was recently re-opened for transportation and this is highly seen as a good move in promoting tourism and easy admittance to both countries. This road stretches very well from Kigali Rwanda’s capital city to Katuna at the Uganda border about 78kms which links both countries and then liking with the Kisoro-Kabale road.

Katuna is the entry and exit point for export and import from Uganda, Rwanda and the nearby countries like Kenya. Access to these countries have been softened by the construction of this road, and this was due to the efforts of the European Union (EU) who sponsored this project with an aim of endorsing easy transportation of goods from Kenya’s Mombasa port to Rwanda and Uganda with a lot easy, but in other words this will also promote tourism sector as access to these countries will be easy.

All these countries have wonderful tourist attractions Uganda and Rwanda are among the three countries in the world housing the endangered mountain gorillas so tracking in both countries can be possible, you track the very day and then connect trough the main highway with so much ease. Tourist on self-drive road trip are going to easily link to both countries and back without passing through longer routes which can influence on fuel expenditure and time wasting leading to missing of tourist activities, or any other business or missing their departure flights back home hence a very good news for car rental/hire companies in Uganda and Rwanda.

Pope Francis’ Visit to Uganda & Rwanda, a Blessing to East Africa

This November, East Africa (Uganda and Kenya in particular) will be expecting to receive one of the most famous people on the planet -the Pope. Pope Francis became Pope in 2013 succeeding Pope Benedict XVI who resigned. Pope Francis this year (2015) embarked on a tour outside Italy where he first visited the South American states of Ecuador, Paraguay and Bolivia from 6^th to 13^th July and the United States just in September from 26^th to 27^th. The good news is that this coming November the Pope is set to visit the African continent for the first time since he became pope in 2013. In Africa, he will visit Kenya from 25^th to 27^th proceed to Uganda from 27^th to 29^th November and lastly go to central African republic from 29^th to 30^th concluding his African journey.

Two East African countries receiving the Pope is a very blessing especially for the tourism industry because it will continue to expose the east African region worldwide making it known to those few who had no idea where it is.

Apart from exposure, a number of foreign catholic visitors from other staunch African countries who eagerly want to see the Pope are expected to go to the two countries (Uganda and Kenya), whichis a very good thing for the tourism industry.

The Pope will be visiting the 3 African countries an honor of the invitation by the heads of state and local church leaders of the 3 countries. The Uganda martyrs Namugongo is one of the major reasons why the pope is visiting Uganda and he is expected to reach at the site.

Many local Ugandan Christians and Catholic Church leaders will be covered with joy for such an important visit and they have highly anticipated the Pope’s visit to the country. Uganda is among the few countries that have been visited by more than one Pope and the Pope Francis’s visit will be the third, setting a record. The first Pope to visit Uganda was Pope Paul VI who visited the country in 1969. Uganda was the only African country that Pope Paul VI visited in the 15 years he served as Pope.

24 years later, Pope John Paul II also visited Uganda in 1993 where he visited the Namugongo shrines elevating them to a rank of a minor basilica. Pope Francis’s visit in November is going to be the third papal visit to the country after 22 years. The previous Pope’s visits attracted a number of people and this November, many will be expected in Uganda.

The international catholic pilgrims who will come to Uganda ahead of the Popes’ visit if they wish can get a chance to go for Ugandan safaris in Uganda’s major national parks or visit the nearby tourist attractions like lake victoria’s major islands (Ssese islands or Ngamba island for chimpanzee viewing). They can alternatively engage in tourism sports activities like playing golf at the lake Victoria Serena hotel golf course or at golf course hotel in Kampala.

Major tourism stakeholder in Uganda and Kenya are very enthusiastic about the Pope’s visit that is expected to raise and boost religious tourism especially for the Uganda’s Namugongo shrine.

Uganda is the pearl of Africa as sir Winston Churchill described it and it’s not a coincidence that many influential people love visiting this beautiful country. Am very sure that once the Pope steps on the Ugandan soils, he will greatly appreciate the good climate and above all the very hospitable and warm welcoming Ugandans millions of which will assemble on the streets just waiting a wave at him.

Tourism Unites Many African Countries

The natural beauty & lovely views has a different meaning for everyone, but that can be understood and enjoyed in only Rwanda & Seychelles. Combining two destinations for a holiday in Africa is a perfect spot for stunning views, Wildlife & beach treats besides the best place for wildlife nature and honeymoon holidays in Africa. The good news is that both Seychelles and Rwanda are set to work together as partners –through a memorandum of understanding for tourism and cultural exchanges.

The Rwanda High commissioner Dr Ben Rugangazi expressed his eagerness to work with Seychelles minister for Tourism and culture to develop new co-operations for tourism hence making it easy for travellers to visit both destinations easily. Tourists to both south Africa and Rwanda will enjoy different tourism activities in at a fare rates, discounts depending on how the co-operation partnerships will state.

At his office at the National cultural center in Victoria, Dr Ben Ruhangazi made a promise to consider the call of the Seychelles tourism minister. He said that Rwanda has watched closely Seychelles’ heightened progress in crystallizing its tourism industry as the pillar of the economy. He said that to develop the country’s natural parks, hot springs, and unique mountain gorillas earmarked as tourism amenities, Rwanda would need to follow the Seychelles expertise to showcase itself as a valuable tourism destination.

The main core of the memorandum of Understanding Draft on the Rwanda side is to showcase Rwanda and diversities so that Seychelles and Rwanda can benefit from each other which could only happen by working together. “I believe that as Africans we should rally together and showcase to the world the diversity that exists in Africa. There’s a lot that we can do together. How we can move forward is something that we alone can decide, but this avenue of Africa–Africa cooperation remains the way forward,” said Minister St.Ange. Its a great thing to unite and work hand in hand like Rwanda and Seychelles. However Rwanda is a friendly country to all countries all over the world the reason as to why it receives many tourist guests from all the corners of the world. Tourists don’t only tour Rwanda but also visit other countries with unique attractions and wildlife like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Tour Operators to Gain from East Africa Tourist Visa

The three east African countries recently entered an arrangement to market the three countries as a single tourist destination;this will also help in increasing the market of safaris to Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Serena Hotels, a leading regional investor in the hospitality also partnered with the national carrier which is Rwanda air and also met with the local tour and travel operators in order to enhance their knowledge region‘s tourist attractions.

This will also be a great opportunity to the tour operators to grow their business regionally which will also help improving the safaris which are carried out in all the three east African countries. This is to avail relevant information about what Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda offer in terms of tourism and how they can market all these countries in order to increase the number of tourists who come to these three countries.

The tourist visa is to help the three countries since a visitor or tourist pays $100 at the country of entry or the respective foreign missions abroad. This initiative also calls for private sector participation, but stake holders need to know how to go about the business of marketing the region as a single product. This will help in the easy movement of the safari tourists from place to another.
The tourist attractions in the three countries offer tour operators to effectively market the region. The single tourist visa also provides a chance to understand how to sell better the safari attractions to the visitors, which later help in improving the tourism sector within the country. East Africa has a variety of tourist attractions which include; rare mountain gorillas, cultural and historical sites as well as a beautiful coast line, however not every tour operator knows about the rich potential found within the region.

Some of the attractions also include; Masai Mara National park and the Mombasa beaches on the Indian Ocean in Kenya and the mountain gorillas which are also found in Uganda and Rwanda and not found in Kenya. Once all these are packaged together, they become more appealing compared to when they are marketed individually hence giving the visitors a more interesting experience.

Kenya Travel Alert July 2010 – Is it Deserved?

The US State Department has done it again: issuing a travel alert for Kenya. They cite two main security concerns: the terrorist threat posed by Al-Shabaab, and the possibility of a repeat of violence after the August 4th constitutional referendum. You can see the travel alert here.

The concern over al-Shabaab is largely because of the Uganda bombings which I previously wrote about. The terrorist group acknowledged responsibility for the bombings. Since then, Kenya has been on a high security alert, considering that the country’s border with Somalia is very porous. Kenya has reinforced its security troops along the border. In the past one week or so, we have heard reports of some skirmishes between al-Shabaab militants and the Kenya police. But these are not very uncommon.

About the constitutional referendum, we Kenyans will be voting on August 4th on whether or not to adopt a new constitution. The last time we had polls here, violence erupted following the disputed results. And, like it was expected the US state department issued another travel alert.

While I understand the fears of new violence after the referendum, I think the 2008 violence taught us a big lesson. There’s no way we are going back down that road again. Certainly, some people may try to disrupt a political rally here and there, but the government is doing a commendable job.

So what is my take on the newest travel alert? The US state department reserves the right to warn its citizens of potential trouble. I also want to believe that the alert is informed by competent intelligence reports.

As a Kenyan on the ground however, I remain confident in the assurances by our government that it has put adequate measures for the security of everyone in the country. For quite some time now, the government has been aware of the al-Shabaab threat and, I believe, has handled it adequately. And, going by government reports in local media, the government has also deployed many police officers in potential trouble spots to prevent a repeat of violence after the referendum.

Needless to say however, it is good to take precaution. If you plan to travel to Kenya around this time, you’d be prudent to monitor news and information from the country. Let your travel agent know your concerns, and they will advise you.

Update: August 09, 2010

It is now five days since we Kenyans held the national referendum on the constitution. Contrary to what some people feared, it was very peaceful and successful during and after the referendum. Despite the rigorous campaigns before the elections, the losers gracefully accepted defeat. As Kenyans, we are all united in celebrating the dawn of a new era. Never before has there been such optimism in the country. This reinforces my belief that Kenya learnt the 2008 lesson very well, and Kenyans will never again allow the country to sink that low.

If you are planning to come to Kenya, I can only say KARIBU SANA