The 1st EAC Regional Tourism Expo, which took place from 9th to 11th October 2021, attracted over 2,000 visitors from across the East Africa region and beyond as well as more than 100 exhibitors, who participated at the TGT grounds in Arusha, Tanzania.
Since March 2020, the tourism sector in the EAC Partner States has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the recovery is just beginning – and it aims to build back stronger. That is why the East African Community, in collaboration with the United Republic of Tanzania, hosted the 1st EAC Regional Tourism Expo. It highlighted the sector's strong economic recovery ahead which will also be built on the untapped potential of domestic and regional tourism as laid out in the EAC’s Tourism Recovery Plan.
The Expo created awareness on tourism investment opportunities amid the pandemic and promoted the EAC as a single tourism destination. “This expo provides an opportunity for us to engage and tell the world that all EAC partner states are ready to receive them,” noted Dr Peter Mathuki, EAC Secretary General.
EAC-GIZ via its SEAMPEC programme was among the sponsors and exhibitors at the Expo. SEAMPEC works closely with the EAC Secretariat to support the promotion of domestic and regional tourism. More information on current tourism activities can be found here.
Furthermore, EAC-GIZ hosted several partner institutions from the East African tourism sector at its booth. Among them was the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA), an umbrella body for the Mara Conservancies working with GIZ Kenya as an implementing partner for COVID-19 emergency support to conservancies in the Maasai Mara Region. The Kivu Belt Destination Management Unit was hosted as well. It is a joint project between GIZ Rwanda and the Rwanda Chamber of Tourism via GIZ’s project “Promoting the economy and employment in Rwanda” promoting tourism in the Kivu Belt Region.
EAC-GIZ used the expo as an opportunity to analyze on how to create synergies to further promote regional and domestic tourism in all EAC Partner States.
More information on EAC-GIZ’s tourism activities can be found here.
Find more information on the “Promoting the economy and employment in Rwanda” Project here.
Find more information on the “Maasai Mara Conservancies” Project here.