EXPEDITING SINGLE TOURISM VISA FOR EAST AFRICA VITAL

Rwanda, according to the head of Tourism and Conservation at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), is ready to implement the East African Community (EAC) single tourists’ visa. This comes after the EAC sectoral council on tourism and wildlife management called upon partner states to fast track the introduction of the visa. Many tourists, who come to the region, hope to have a diverse experience. The four countries that make up the EAC have a diversity of tourist attractions that many tourists crave. A single tourist visa can help to promote tourism regionally and increase the revenues in the sector. Therefore, tourists will be able to enjoy the sand beaches of the East African coast, gorilla tracking in Rwanda and Uganda, and at the same time enjoy the region’s flora and fauna, as well as the diverse scenic beauty of the countries. In addition to a joint marketing strategy, the single tourist visa would be a key strategy of promoting the region as a single tourist destination. It is important that EAC partner countries start participating in international tourism fairs as a bloc in order to further integrate the sector regionally. Importantly, establishing common standards in the tourism and hospitality sector, like in grading hotels, is another important step in promoting the regions’ tourism sector that should also be implemented alongside other reforms. Ends