Tourists touring the five East African Community countries could soon have a common visa to travel if high-level talks between representatives of the countries bear fruit. Talks are at a high gear with meetings between ministers and other top Government officials taking place in Nairobi Kenya. East African Community minister Amason Kingi said the integration of immigrations departments in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Uganda would open up the region. “A common visa would enable tourists to travel the countries with ease. This will result into an unrivalled wide safari package and holiday vacations for our region and pool tourists to the hub,” he added.
Residents of the member countries would also cross the borders to carry out business for the benefit of their individual countries and the region, said Mr Kingi.
“We want to market East Africa as a single tourism safaris package as opposed to the current scenario in which individual countries are marketing themselves,” said Mr Kingi,.
The minister was speaking at Mwembe Resort Hotel during the launch of Malindi Protects Children campaign aimed at fighting child sexual exploitation in the tourism sector, something that had been becoming a growing concern. The event was presided over by Tourism minister Najib Balala. The policy would also prohibit member states from speaking ill about other East African community members during their marketing strategies, he said.
Mr Kingi decried the rise in child sex tourism in Malindi Mombassa Watamu Nairobi , saying it must be stopped since it had painted the holiday destination negatively in Europe and America
By: Edwin Muriithi
© 2010 Africa Travel
