THE agreement between Kenya and Tanzania allowing Kenyan operators to drop tourists in designated Tanzanian towns is a move in the right direction.
The issue of Kenyan tour operators being locked out of Tanzania was a bottleneck to integration and the growth of the tourism sector. The Kenyan and Tanzanian governments should be encouraged to start thinking of each other as partners in the tourism sector rather than competitors.
As Kenya had not locked out Tanzanian tour operators from airports and tourist sites, Tanzania’s latest gesture signals that the neighbour is now opening up for business, which can only be beneficial to players on both sides. It should set the stage for further co-operation now that Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda last week signed a protocol allowing their citizens to cross borders using only an identity card rather than a passport.
Tanzania should not be left behind either. Were it to be brought on board, the ties between the regional neighbours would be further strengthened.
Nairobi, February 24
A Ngare Serian tented camp in Maasai Mara, Kenya. Picture: THINKSTOCK.
THE agreement between Kenya and Tanzania allowing Kenyan operators to drop tourists in designated Tanzanian towns is a move in the right direction.
The issue of Kenyan tour operators being locked out of Tanzania was a bottleneck to integration and the growth of the tourism sector. The Kenyan and Tanzanian governments should be encouraged to start thinking of each other as partners in the tourism sector rather than competitors.
As Kenya had not locked out Tanzanian tour operators from airports and tourist sites, Tanzania’s latest gesture signals that the neighbour is now opening up for business, which can only be beneficial to players on both sides. It should set the stage for further co-operation now that Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda last week signed a protocol allowing their citizens to cross borders using only an identity card rather than a passport.
Tanzania should not be left behind either. Were it to be brought on board, the ties between the regional neighbours would be further strengthened.
Nairobi, February 24
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