EAC ministers have agreed to align national tourism laws to the EAC Customs Management Act. Amending of the laws will accord privately owned non-commercial vehicles registered in a member state local status on excursions to tourism sites across borders.

The agreement follows a recent dispute that saw Kenya ban Tanzanian registered tourist vehicles from accessing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, national parks and other tourist sites.

Tanzania retaliated by cutting down the frequency of Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro by more than 60 per cent.

Though the standoff was resolved, the chief executive officer of the Kenya Tourism Federation, Agatha Juma, said the problem of commercial vehicles not accessing each other’s airports and tourist sites should be addressed.

“If laws are to be amended, then Tanzania should first amend its current Tourism Act that bars foreign registered vehicles from its national parks,” said Ms Juma.

“We are waiting for the bilateral meeting between the two countries to see what decision will be taken to resolve the issue.”

Tanzania’s Tourism Act 2008 stipulates that foreign registered tour operator vehicles are not allowed entry into national parks.

According to Fred Kaigwa, the Kenya Association of Tour Operators chief executive, although the two presidents directed that Tanzania’s tour vans be allowed to access JKIA, it was an unfair decision for Kenya.

“Tanzania still bars our commercial vehicles from their tourist sites,” said Mr Kaigwa.

Richard Rugimbana, the executive secretary of the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania, said the meeting should come up with permanent solutions.

“We all lose if no amicable solution is reached,” he said.

Source: The East African

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