EA House passes Bill that will usher joint tourism body

The regional states also anticipate adopting an approach to the protection of wildlife resources from illegal use and practice, adopting an approach for participation in regional and international treaties on wildlife conservation and management and enhance capacity building in the tourism sector.

Tanzania’s EALA legislator, Kate Kamba said the region was endowed with enormous natural resources, even though bureaucracy among member States continued to hinder its full exploitation.

“We need a united policy to protect the wildlife and manage the transport sector, which is vital in the tourism industry,” she said.

Huge potential

Another Kenyan MP, Mr Gervase Akhaabi, said tourism harboured huge potential and could provide a lot employment if well managed.

EAC members in November last year signed a protocol establishing a common market with a joint population of nearly 127 million people and a GDP of $55 billion.

This means that each state would now be expected to carry out joint tasks such as marketing and promotion of high potential sectors in order to attract investment.