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Arusha Times (Arusha)

February 18, 2006
Posted to the web February 21, 2006

Valentine Marc Nkwame
Arusha

The EAC Public Relations and Information Officer, Owora Richard Otieno confirmed here last week, that tourist visiting national parks and other gazetted destinations in any of the three countries will pay a standard fee, when the programme takes off. The EAC believes the decision will boost the industry in the region.

The initiative, according to Owora, dates back to 2004, but due to some 'unavoidable circumstances,' it could not materialize immediately as it was anticipated. The move now pioneers the need for the region to harmonize tourist operations in East Africa under the Customs Union pact.

Recently, the Monitor newspaper of Uganda quoted the Acting Executive Director of the Uganda's Wildlife Authority, Damian Akankwasa as saying: "We are in discussion and have started moving towards charging a single fee as a region. We hope the agreement with our counterparts of Tanzania and Kenya will be reached before the end of the year,"

The decision supporters think the uniform tariff will enable tourists to plan, arrange and budget their safaris better. "They (tourists), will also be able to visit the whole region without fear of higher fees elsewhere" said Victor Kisamo who works with an Arusha- based company known as Leopard Tours.

However, some local operators are somewhat skeptic, wondering whether some strings are being attached to the whole arrangement, especially because Tanzania has the most parks and may turn out to be the loser in the long run, while the others rip fortunes at the countries expense.

We could not immediately get Mustafa Akunay, the Executive Secretary for the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators to give his comments. Of late, some local tour operators have been claiming that Kenyan drivers are free to drive into Tanzania with their visitors, while Tanzanians meet stumbling blocks in trying to do so in Kenya.

At the moment, each of the three EAC partner states charge separately. In Uganda the entrance fee to any of the country's National parks, for one-day is US$20 for foreigners, East African residents pay US$10 and residents are charged Ush. 5, 000.

In Tanzania the entry fees to its two hot-spot National parks of Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti for foreign tourists is US$60 and US$50 respectively. In Kenya the average fee to National parks is set at US$30 per adult and US$10 per student or one child, per day. Standardization of these fees will force the country reduce its park fees, after raising them only in January this year.

The tourism boards of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have recently agreed on a number of strategies to promote the area as a single tourist destination. Although they will continue to operate separate stands in the interim, the boards have agreed that they will in future participate in tourism fairs under one roof. The first appearance in this format will be at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin.

They also plan to meet within the first quarter of 2006 to decide on common short and long term strategies. Among others, they want to develop common promotional materials, such as developing a unique brand for East Africa and publishing one EAC tourist brochure.

They also intend devising a mechanism for harmonizing financial, logistical and operational co- operation., develop institutional and legal frameworks for co-operation among the tourism boards, tour operators and other tourist promotional agencies.

The EAC economist for the Tourism Sector, Dr Nyamajeje Weggoro, applauded the decision. He commented on the importance of tourism in the EAC region and said he was pleased that such an initiative was being launched at the London World Trade Market.

Attractions of the EAC region are its wildlife sanctuaries, such as Ngongoro, the Serengeti and Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, in Tanzania; the Maasai Mara reserve, and 48 wildlife parks and reserves, including the Tsavo and Amboseli, in Kenya; and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (famous for mountain gorillas), the Murchison Falls and Elizabeth Park in Uganda. Famous beaches in the region include Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Malindi and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Lamu. In addition, the world's second largest fresh water body, Lake Victoria, is shared by the three EAC countries. This is recognized as a world heritage site, due to its rich Biodiversity.