Covid-19 devastated tourism in East Africa may start to pick up from next year.
The multi-million dollar industry which attracted close to seven million visitors in 2019 is likely to resume an upward trend.
"From next year, the sector may start picking up", the East African Community (EAC) secretary general Peter Mathuki hinted yesterday.
He told reporters in Arusha that there were ample signs of recovery of the key economic sector from the impact of the pandemic.
"It may be on a slow pace but from next year, things may start to pick up", he said when updating the media on the forthcoming East African Tourism Expo.
The six day fair kicks off at the luxury TGT Grounds on the outskirts of Arusha Saturday and will end on Monday.
Dr. Mathuki said a regional tourism recovery plan agreed upon in July this year was showing signs of success.
The plan stressed observation of all the Covid-19 prevention protocols as well as diversification of the tourism products.
Besides being part of the recovery plan, the Expo is also aimed to boost tourism which currently accounts for 10 percent of the EAC Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
"Unfortunately we are too dependent on the foreign tourists", he said, noting that domestic tourism was one of the segments targeted.
EAC director of Productive and Social Services Jean Baptiste Havigumana said the Expo will attract over 2,000 exhibitors and service providers.
All the six EAC partner states, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and South will attend as well as DR Congo, Botswana, Eswatini and Sierra Leone.Arusha.
Recently the East African Tourism Platform (EATP) announced plans to woo back tourists to the region after the coronavirus impact.
To facilitate the drive, Trade Mark East Africa announced a financial package of $ 250,000 for market development and advocacy, among others.
According to statistics, the flow of tourists into the region had dropped to 2.25million last year from 6.9million in 2019.
This year (2021), the EA region anticipates 3.75 million foreign tourists this year, a 1.5 million rise from 2.25 million recorded last year.
Sources at the EAC secretariat said the visitors had reached a record 6.9 million in 2019 before the pandemic.
"This year (2021) we are expecting a total of 3.75 million tourists, 1.5 million more compared to last year", said Simon Kiarie, the principal tourism officer.
He said the rise of the visitors was enough sign that the industry was recovering from the impact of the pandemic.
"The sector is picking up thanks to deliberate efforts to diversify the products and source markets", he said in a recent interview.
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