Tour operators and travel agents from Uganda and Kenya have signed cooperation agreements at a regional tourism summit in Mombasa, as the two countries try to make cross-border travel easier.
The Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) and the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on promoting sustainable tourism and regional tourism cooperation across East Africa.
The Uganda Association of Travel Agents (TUGATA) and the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) signed an MoU on implementing the Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism Collaboration. The document describes itself as a framework for cooperation on innovation, investment, youth participation and regional integration.
A third agreement, on trade, investment and private-sector cooperation, was signed by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and the Mombasa chapter of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI).
The deals were signed on the opening day of the fifth Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit, at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa on 26 and 27 October.
The summit follows a six-day familiarisation tour of the Kenyan coast by more than 70 Ugandan tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers and Uganda Tourism Board officials, coordinated by Uganda’s Consulate General in Mombasa.
Operators are also hoping to use the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will co-host, to attract visitors to both countries.
Signing three MoUs was one of the targets organisers set for this year’s meeting, which they say marks a move from tourism promotion towards policy action.
Organisers also aim to secure at least 10 business-to-business links between Ugandan and Kenyan coastal operators, with progress tracked over three months, and at least two digital tourism prototypes ready for commercial backing.
They plan a review of Article 104 of the East African Community (EAC) Treaty, which covers the free movement of people, labour and services, to identify barriers to cross-border travel.
Government representatives are expected to sign a joint declaration for submission to the EAC Secretariat. A communiqué naming institutional commitments and deadlines is due within two weeks and will be reviewed at the 2027 summit.
The summit is convened by the consulate under the theme “Unlocking Tourism Opportunities: Resolving Policy Bottlenecks through Technology, Youth and Seamless Mobility across East Africa”.
Travel between the two neighbours has been rising. Uganda Tourism Board figures show Kenyan visitors to Uganda rose from 466,902 in 2024 to 519,041 in 2025.
Kenya Tourism Board data puts Ugandan arrivals in Kenya at 234,556 in 2025, making Uganda one of Kenya’s largest source markets. Kenya is targeting 300,000 Ugandan visitors this year.
Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, said the two countries were promoting their attractions as a combined package rather than as rivals.
“Our approach is to embrace complementarity rather than competition, connecting Kenya’s coast to Uganda’s rich natural and cultural heritage through the ‘Beach to Bush, Bush to Beach’ concept, for the mutual benefit of both countries,” he said.
Susan Nakawuki Nsambu, Uganda’s Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, said partnerships needed to turn into lasting business relationships.
“The value of this partnership lies not simply in the meetings we hold, but in the relationships we build, the businesses we connect, and the opportunities we unlock,” she said.
She asked organisers of familiarisation trips to include officials from her ministry to improve policy co-ordination.
Ambassador Charles Ssentongo, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the government would “continue to facilitate, work with and advocate for the interests of tourism stakeholders”.
Ssentongo said trade barriers were being handled through the Uganda–Kenya Joint Permanent Commission and called for practical, time-bound solutions.
He described tourism as one of four sectors, alongside agriculture, minerals, and science, technology and innovation, that the government is relying on under its Ten-Fold Growth Strategy. The plan aims to grow Uganda’s economy from about $50bn to $500bn by 2040.
Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, gave the keynote address.
“Tourism cooperation must go beyond promoting destinations to empowering local communities, protecting our natural resources and creating sustainable economic opportunities,” she said.
Kadaga called for formal cooperation frameworks, business-friendly policies, better transport infrastructure and improved visitor safety.
The meeting began in 2022 as the Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism Conference. It falls under Uganda’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Strategy for 2025/26 to 2029/30, which tasks the country’s missions abroad with promoting exports, investment and tourism.
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