THERE IS NO BETTER TIME FOR UGANDA & KENYA TO MOUNT A COMPLEMENTARY TOURISM STRATEGY THAN NOW? A KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY PSFU’S STEPHEN ASIIMWE?

One of my highlights at the ongoing Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference was Stephen Asiimwe 's keynote address.?He is the CEO, Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) .

In his address titled: “Unveiling Business and Investment Opportunities in the Travel Trade Industry”, Mr. Asiimwe fervently made a case for a Kenya-Uganda mutual tourism cooperation, why governments need to accelerate investments in an enabling legal and policy environment as well as accessibility infrastructure and the right amenities, and most importantly, he spoke about why the tourism sector must relentlessly invest in creating unforgettable destination experiences.?

“Tourism thrives on one thing called destination experience; without remarkable experiences, there would be no travel industry. Remarkable and unforgettable experiences result into increased tourist stay and expenditure,” he said.

“Uganda and Kenya share 814 kilometres of borderline….we are intrinsically connected? to support and grow our economies; for us to have a win-win situation, we need to harmonise our interests,” he said, adding: “Kenya and Uganda have a combined population of over 100 million people.?The economies of the two countries are growing with a combined GDP of over USD160 billion and a growing middle-class.”

“Because of the growth of the economies of both countries, we have seen the rise of the middle class in both countries. The combined populations and GDP of both countries can cause a big push in the tourism sectors of both countries, which then translates into better jobs, taxes and subsequently better government investment to create an enabling environment,” he added.

He said there couldn’t be a better time for Uganda and Kenya to cement a joint tourism strategy? Uganda and Kenya presently enjoy a historically high level of commercial diplomacy characterised by 24/7 border crossing made easy by one-stop-border points, cross-border payments systems, more open skies and higher commercial flight frequencies, currency convertibility, the EAC tourism visa and most recently, the decision by the Kenyan government to remove visa requirements for all Africans.?

Asiimwe, who is passionate about the tourism industry? he was the former Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda’s tourism marketing and regulatory agency, said that to maximise return on investment, Uganda and Kenya needed to carefully jointly map, package, sell and deliver East Africa as a unique experience and the most competitive destination.?

“Over and above our two countries being key source markets to each other, our countries are uniquely gifted; combined, we will deliver an unbeatable experience. We need each other to thrive,” he said, adding: "Uganda for example, is the Primate Capital of East Africa. We control over 50% of the entire Mountain Gorilla in the whole the world. We are also home to two big communities of chimpanzees. Kenya on the other hand is known for very unique tourism assets such as the Maasai Mara migration and some of the finest sand beaches on earth. While Kenya has Mount Kenya? the second highest mountain in East Africa, Uganda has the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th highest mountains in Africa.”

“Over and above our two countries being key source markets to each other, our countries are uniquely gifted; combined, we will deliver an unbeatable experience.

“We have unique cultures and cuisines-our friendship and bespoke hospitality, is a sense in which people would like to invest,” he added.

To sustainably and competitively position the two countries as a must-go-to destination, Asiimwe said, the two governments needed to urgently address the issue of the cost of travel between the two countries.?

He also spoke about the importance of tourism marketing? creating a powerful story/narrative and working with the media to deliver it? as well as we the importance of training staff on professionalism, integrity and communication, the need to invest in and leverage new technologies as well as environment sustainability.?

“We need to invest in research. Travel trends are changing/have changed especially for younger travellers. We need to start to prepare for that. We need to invest in very good accommodation. Simple but very good. You don’t have to be the biggest hotel, but you can be the best hotel,” he concluded.?

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