Kenya and Uganda have set an ambitious target to attract at least 1.4 million African tourists through joint marketing, innovation and multi-destination tourism products.

The two countries unveiled the plan during the Fourth Kenya-Uganda Coast Tourism Conference and Exhibition held in Malindi, Kilifi County, which began on Monday.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said the two nations are keen on boosting regional tourism through collaboration and sustainable investments.

“We are committed to championing the envisioned growth of our tourism by streamlining processes, providing attractive incentives, and putting in place clear policies to welcome investment in eco-friendly ventures, marine tourism, and community-based projects,” Ms Miano said.

“As we look to the horizon, we share a singular ambition to harness our partnership to reach our target of 1.4 million African arrivals,” she said.

This year’s conference, themed, Leveraging on Youth, Innovation and Technology for Responsive and Inclusive Tourism, focused on enhancing cross-border partnerships and promoting East Africa as a unified travel destination.

Miano noted that Uganda remains one of Kenya’s key source markets, with more than 225,000 Ugandan visitors recorded last year, accounting for 9.4 per cent of total international arrivals.

“Our vision is rooted in a partnership as ancient as the currents of the Indian Ocean and as enduring as the source of the Nile; the bonds between Kenya and Uganda are the bedrock upon which our future is built,” she said.

Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa Ambassador Paul Mukumbya said Uganda and Kenya could easily complement each other by marketing their unique attractions jointly so that international tourists can visit the two countries on the same itinerary.

“In Uganda, all our beaches combined cannot be compared with what there is in the Kenya Coast. But here at the Kenya Coast, you cannot find the mountain gorilla. So why don’t we promote these products jointly so that the international tourists who come to the Kenya Coast can enjoy the beaches and on the same itinerary go to Uganda and do the gorilla trekking?” he posed.

The call for complementarity in tourism marketing between the two neighbouring countries was echoed by senior officials from both Kenya and Uganda, including Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro.

The Malindi meeting follows the Kenya Coast Investment Forum, where leaders explored ways to unlock tourism opportunities along the coastline.

Miano reiterated Kenya’s commitment to attracting eco-friendly and community-based ventures to promote sustainable growth benefiting both Kenyan and Ugandan markets.

The annual conference, organised by the consulate general of Uganda in Mombasa and other stakeholders, included familiarisation trips and a golf tournament aimed at strengthening ties and experience sharing within the tourism industry.

The collaboration builds on the memorandum of understanding signed in July 2025 between Presidents William Ruto and Yoweri Museveni, which provides a framework for joint marketing, policy development, and tourism infrastructure investment.

The facilitators said the growing partnership will help boost regional connectivity, develop joint tourism products, and market East Africa as a seamless destination for both local and international travellers.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Shani Rhai and Emmanuel Masha