Plan to promote EAC tourism launched

BY BUSINESS REPORTER

A new concept aimed at promoting East African Community (EAC) tourism has been launched.

The Mashariki Holiday Festival formed by a group of event organisers within the region aims at promoting tourism in the spirit of reaching a common purpose in political, social and economic front.

MHF chairman Emmy Moshi says the idea will help transform the tourism market within East Africa and create a niche for African tourists within the bloc.

"The outfit is designed to cater for people from all cadres of life, including the high and low income earners within the member states," said Moshi.

The MHF, if implemented fully, could be a consummate of the integration process among the five member states that include Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

The group will hold an 11-day inaugural event from December 21 to showcase the unique tourism potential in the region, especially with the single entry visa.

The single visa will make it easy for tourists who visit EAC member countries to access other tourism facilities anywhere without having a problem of processing a visa.

The event has already received backing from the bloc’s secretariat as a form of a grand drive towards achieving a central political group within the region.

Part of the goals of the MHF includes promotion of culture and sports tourism to foster existence and survival of the communities in social cohesion, solidarity, stability and identity.

EAC Principal Information and public relations officer, Owora Richard says that the concept had come at a better time, to seriously market the EA as a real tourism destination.

He says if successfully handled, it will help in speeding up integration.

"East Africa is endowed with resources and this idea will help bring its people together to see the riches of respective countries in terms cultural identity as a platform for communication," said Owora.

He said EAC integration has potential to improve prospects of poverty and reduction and economic growth.

This he says will involve cooperation in infrastructure and other public goods provision and growth- enhancing institutional change.

"Apart from promoting cultural and Eco- tourism and other cultural awareness through cooperation, we also want to ensure fostering unity on shared vision is achieved," said Moshi.