What changed
East African Community ministers have adopted the Tourism Marketing Strategy 2027–2036, a ten-year plan to promote East Africa as one tourism destination. The strategy joins digital marketing, cross-border travel packages and the “Visit East Africa: Feel the Vibe” brand with preparations for AFCON 2027, aiming to spread tourism opportunities beyond the three host countries.
Why it matters
This turns tourism promotion from a national pitch into a regional project. A visitor could be encouraged to see several EAC destinations as part of one journey, while shared marketing and easier cross-border travel make that idea more practical.
The plan also exposes the unglamorous work behind the slogan. Ministers prioritised conservation across shared ecosystems, common tourism grading, better statistics, the Single Tourist Visa and stronger joint branding. They adopted common designs for classification plaques and certificates, and called for tourism establishments to be classified before AFCON 2027. As one official put it, visitors will judge the region by its rooms, meals and service.
Uganda has offered to host the fourth EAC Regional Tourism Expo alongside the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo in May 2027. The event is expected to combine AFCON promotion with multi-country packages, giving the regional brand a physical showcase.
The strategy’s promise will depend on execution. Funding, visitor targets and implementation milestones have not yet been confirmed, while Partner States still need to complete national consultations on the Single Tourist Visa. The next concrete signal is the updated visa study, which the EAC Secretariat was directed to circulate by 20 October.
Comments
No comments yet.