MOMBASA, Kenya – Tourism stakeholders from Kenya and Uganda are calling for the removal of travel barriers and more affordable cross-border movement as the two countries prepare to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Tanzania.
Speaking at the 5th Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit, which opened on Monday, October 26, at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa in Mombasa, industry players said high airfares, non-tariff barriers and travel requirements were limiting tourism growth between the two neighbours.
The players warned that failure to address these challenges could undermine efforts to maximise the economic benefits of the continental tournament beyond the football matches.
Uganda’s Minister of State for Tourism, Suzan Nakawuki Nsambu, addressed delegates and said both governments were exploring ways to ensure the seamless movement of goods and people.
Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, Consul General of the Republic of Uganda in Mombasa, said there was a need for the two governments to address the barriers that make travel between the countries expensive and inconvenient, especially high airfares.
Kenya Coast Tourism Association chief executive, Julius Owino, said the cost of connectivity remained the biggest obstacle to cross-border tourism.
“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,” said Owino, during the summit attended by News9.africa.
Joan Ndungu, of Destination Diani, said high fares were already changing how tourists travel.
“Yes, we have made strides. However, the cost is very restrictive. In fact, we are having tourists travel by bus from Uganda and connect by train from Nairobi, just to cut costs,” she said.
Delegates urged both governments to review taxes and other charges that push up the cost of regional flights.
They also called for a review of travel-related requirements, including yellow fever vaccination rules, and of non-tariff barriers they said complicate cross-border tourism.
Tour Operators Society of Kenya (TOSK) chairman Raymond Cheruiyot said Kenya and Uganda needed to work together to eliminate bottlenecks restricting access between the two destinations.
Cheruiyot said improved movement would strengthen regional tourism businesses and let visitors experience both countries without unnecessary complications.
The industry players made calls for joint marketing of Kenya and Uganda as one regional destination, which would allow tour operators to package multi-country holidays linking Kenya’s beaches and wildlife safaris with Uganda’s gorilla trekking and adventure tourism.
They encouraged visitors to stay longer and spend more in the region, calling for better sharing of tourism data to support planning, sustainability and investment decisions.
Held under the theme “Unlocking Tourism Opportunities: Resolving Policy Bottlenecks through Technology, Youth and Seamless Mobility across East Africa,” the two-day Summit has brought together over 300 delegates from government, tourism, technology and investment.
The programme includes a review of how Article 104 of the EAC Treaty on free movement of persons, labour and services is being implemented, and a showcase of digital tourism products developed by young innovators from both countries.
The Summit is expected to close on Tuesday with the adoption of a Communiqué setting out institutional commitments and timelines.
According to the Uganda Tourism Board, Kenyan visitors to Uganda rose from 466,902 in 2024 to 519,041 in 2025.
Kenya Tourism Board shows that Ugandan arrivals to Kenya grew from 201,623 to 234,556 over the same period, making Uganda Kenya’s second-largest source market.
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