By GPC News Desk
East African Community (EAC) ministers have adopted a 10-year tourism marketing strategy to promote East Africa as a single destination.
They also plan to leverage the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to attract international visitors and expand tourism opportunities across the region.
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The EAC Tourism Marketing Strategy for 2027–2036 will promote the region’s natural and cultural heritage through digital campaigns, strategic partnerships and cross-border tourism packages under the brand “Visit East Africa: Feel the Vibe”.
The ministers also committed to using AFCON 2027 to attract international visitors and spread tourism benefits beyond the three host countries to the wider regional bloc.
The resolutions were adopted during the 13th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management, held at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, on Thursday.
The meeting was chaired by Uganda’s Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Col. Tom Butime, and brought together ministers, cabinet secretaries, permanent and principal secretaries, senior government officials and representatives of the EAC Secretariat.
The ministers identified five priority areas for accelerated implementation: strengthening conservation across shared ecosystems, harmonising tourism grading and classification standards, improving tourism statistics, advancing the proposed EAC Single Tourist Visa and intensifying joint tourism marketing.
The priorities also include strengthening cooperation in transboundary conservation areas such as Kidepo, Mount Elgon, Kagera and Virunga.
“We need to create an enabling environment for private-sector investment, develop bankable regional tourism projects, mobilise resources and establish effective monitoring mechanisms to track results,” Butime said.
EAC Deputy Secretary General responsible for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the benefits the region had gained from tourism and wildlife conservation were “only the tip of the iceberg”.
He urged Partner States to accelerate the classification of tourism establishments ahead of AFCON 2027, warning that the quality of accommodation and hospitality services would shape international visitors’ perceptions of East Africa.
“The world will judge East Africa by the quality of the rooms, the meals and the service that our visitors receive,” he said.
Malueth also called on Partner States to conclude national consultations on the proposed Single Tourist Visa, which is intended to ease travel across the region.
Uganda to host regional tourism expo
The Sectoral Council welcomed Uganda’s offer to host the fourth EAC Regional Tourism Expo alongside the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) in May 2027.
The joint event will incorporate AFCON promotional activities and multi-country tourism packages to showcase the region’s attractions to international visitors.
Partner States were urged to participate at a high level, while the EAC Secretariat was directed to work with Uganda on preparations and promotion of the regional tourism brand.
The ministers also called for faster classification of tourism establishments to ensure visitors receive quality services during AFCON 2027.
The council adopted common designs for EAC classification plaques and certificates, directed that classified establishments be published in the EAC Gazette and approved examination results for newly trained assessors from Kenya and Tanzania.
Single Tourist Visa and conservation
On regional travel, the council directed the Secretariat to circulate an updated study on the EAC Single Tourist Visa by October 20, 2026, and asked Partner States to submit their comments by November 30.
The proposed visa is among the measures intended to facilitate cross-border travel and make it easier for tourists to visit multiple destinations within the Community.
On wildlife conservation, the ministers directed the Secretariat to coordinate the development of a tripartite memorandum of understanding involving Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda for the Kidepo–Karamoja–Turkana Transboundary Conservation Area.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to building a resilient, inclusive and sustainable tourism and wildlife sector, while acknowledging the support of development partners, including GIZ, the European Union, TradeMark Africa, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development.
