- Tourism stakeholders from Kenya and Uganda gathered in Mombasa to address high airfares and non-tariff barriers limiting cross-border travel
- Industry players warned that unresolved travel costs could prevent both countries from maximising AFCON 2027’s economic potential
- Delegates called for joint destination marketing and a review of travel requirements, including yellow fever vaccination rules
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Tourism industry players from Kenya and Uganda have urged both governments to dismantle barriers making cross-border travel expensive.
Source: Getty Images
They warned that the obstacles could cost the two countries significant economic gains when they co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Tanzania.
The call came on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the opening of the 5th Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa in Mombasa.
High airfares, non-tariff barriers and burdensome travel requirements were identified as the central challenges standing between the two nations and a flourishing regional tourism market.
Cost of Connectivity Highlighted as Key Obstacle
Kenya Coast Tourism Association chief executive Julius Owino placed the issue of affordability at the centre of the debate.
“Our biggest hindrance is the cost of connectivity. We need to have a conversation in terms of policies that should drive seamless and affordable air travel,” Owino said.
Joan Ndungu of Destination Diani said elevated fares were already forcing tourists to seek alternative, more affordable routes, noting that visitors from Uganda were choosing road and rail connections rather than direct flights.
“Yes, we have made strides. However, the cost is very restricting. In fact, we are having tourists travel by bus from Uganda and connect by train from Nairobi, just to cut costs,” she said.
Tour Operators Society of Kenya chairman Raymond Cheruiyot echoed those concerns, saying closer cooperation between the two countries was essential to remove bottlenecks and allow visitors to experience both destinations without unnecessary complications.
Uganda’s Minister of State for Tourism, Suzan Nakawuki Nsambu, told delegates that both governments were exploring ways to facilitate smoother movement of goods and people across the border.
Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, similarly stressed the need for concrete government action to bring down travel costs and reduce inconvenience.
Joint Marketing and Data Sharing on the Agenda
Beyond cost reduction, stakeholders pushed for Kenya and Uganda to be marketed jointly as a single regional destination.
Such an approach would allow tour operators to bundle Kenya’s coastal and wildlife experiences with Uganda’s gorilla trekking and adventure tourism, encouraging longer stays and higher visitor spending across the region.
Delegates also called for a better exchange of tourism data between the two countries to strengthen planning, sustainability and investment decisions.
The two-day summit, held under the theme “Unlocking Tourism Opportunities: Resolving Policy Bottlenecks through Technology, Youth and Seamless Mobility across East Africa,” includes a review of the implementation of Article 104 of the EAC Treaty on free movement, as well as a showcase of digital tourism products developed by young innovators from Kenya and Uganda.
The event is expected to close on Tuesday, October 27, with the adoption of a communiqué outlining institutional commitments and timelines.
The stakes are considerable. Uganda Tourism Board figures show Kenyan visitors to Uganda grew from 466,902 in 2024 to 519,041 in 2025, while Kenya Tourism Board data indicate Ugandan arrivals in Kenya rose from 201,623 to 234,556 over the same period, making Uganda Kenya’s second-largest source market.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
