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EAC anticipates booming tourism in ten years’ time

Posted: Sunday October 05, 2008 4:27 AM BT

By Adam Ihucha, Arusha

Travel and tourism contribution to the East African countries' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is anticipated to moderately grow by nearly 5 per cent per annum over the coming 10 years, slightly up from 4 per cent in 2007, the East African Community (EAC) has said.

"On average GDP growth for the travel and tourism economy in the East African bloc is projected to be 4.54 per cent per annum over the coming 10 years compared to 4 per cent in 2007" the EAC Principal Tourism Officer, Shedrack Mashauri, noted.

The real industry input to GDP is projected to be US$11,973.8m come 2018, up from US$6,405.6million in 2008. The role of travel and tourism economy to total employment in the region is expected to swell to 2,163,000 jobs by 2018 from 1,737,000 jobs in 2008.

The EA region tourism growth, he says, is slightly low compared to the general trend in the global sphere, where the industry`s input to the World`s GDP is expected to rise from 9.90 per cent in 2008 to 10.50 per cent by 2018.

The World\'s GDP will pocket US$10,855bn by 2018, almost double the amount reaped in 2008. The sector's contribution in world coffers in 2008 is US$5,890bn. Poor infrastructure and the general poor state of most roads in East Africa trading bloc were cited as among the stumbling blocs to growth in the region\'s tourism sector.

A total of 3,310,065 tourists visited East Africa last year. Kenya, the region`s biggest economy, got 2,001,034, Tanzania 719,031 Uganda was 550,000 while Rwanda recorded 40,000. The country with a fast growing economy whose main tourist attractions including the mountain gorillas in the Virunga Hills, recorded 26,000 visits in 2004.

Tourism in Burundi is also picking up significantly, though statistics on last year`s tourists arrivals are yet to be made public. The country recorded 133,000 and 148,000 in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

While Tanzania targets to hit a million tourists arrivals in 2010, Rwanda is adjusting itself to record 50,000 tourists in 2008. If Tanzania\'s target succeeds, the industry would add an extra US$1.7 billion in 2010.

"The EA destination low connectivity, sometimes unreliable, limited reliable high class facilities, stiff competition brought up by the neighbouring blocs, poor branding and inadequate funding, among others, are the factors behind the mess," Mashauri explained.

According to the EAC tourism guru, most of the potential tourists like Bill Gate in most cases are constrained by time, and whenever they spare a bit of it, they prefer reliable and highly connected tourist destinations such as Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa which they can reach within four to six hours.

With low connectivity a tourist needs twenty four or so hours to reach an East African tourist destination, something that apparently scares off potential foreign tourists, he noted.

The situation and figures might be a reason for concern but Mashauri said the EA secretariat is currently working overtime to overcome the odds to ensure the lucrative trade is bright for the benefit of the region's economic growth.

Alongside the spirited move to market and promote East Africa as a single tourist destination, the region will also explore stronger tourism markets links in China and Japan.

Other initiatives include a proposal for the regional tourism fair by 2009 in collaboration with UN-WTO commission for Africa being drafted and the concept note of EA tourism web portal is being finalised.

"A proposal for the development of a tourism crisis management plan for East African countries is under scrutiny,"Mashauri explained, adding other areas that will be high on the agenda is standardisation and classification of EA hotels.

"We have also established the regional tourism marketing arm dubbed East African Tourism and Wildlife Conservation Agency (EATWCA) to spearhead the promotion campaign," he noted.

The EATWCA also tasked to be the nerve-centre of private public partnership, to initiate and coordinate regional tourism policy, research as per market needs and trend, branding EAC and enter into agreement with private, international NGOs to support its promotion campaign.

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