Companies

Tanzania, Kenya talks on tourism bans fail over differing agendas

jkia

The move Kenya’s means that Kenya's ban on Tanzanian registered tourist vans from accessing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport remains. PHOTO | FILE

Talks between Kenya and Tanzania over a ban on access to each others’ national parks, tourist sites and airports have collapsed. This means that Kenya’s ban on Tanzanian registered tourist vans from accessing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) remains.

UPDATE: Lobbying by Kenya Airways ends tourism row with Dar.

At a meeting chaired by permanent secretaries from the two countries on March 19, which was to precede the tourism ministers’ meeting scheduled for March 20, the two countries failed to agree on the agenda to be tabled for discussion.

While Kenya was demanding a comprehensive discussion on all tourism issues affecting the two countries, Tanzania maintained that the only agenda for the day was the ban on their tourist vans accessing JKIA.

“We have agreed to dissolve the meeting until further notice, when all the parties have agreed on what agenda they will discuss,” said a Kenyan official at the Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism.

“The meeting cannot be a one-sided affair,” said Kenya Association of Tour Operators chief executive Fred Kaigwa, adding, “We want a comprehensive discussion on tourism issues affecting the two countries.”

Richard Rugimbana, executive secretary of the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania, said the cause of the deadlock was miscommunication between the two countries on the agenda of the meeting prior to the date.

“Tanzania, in its invitation letter to Kenya, stated that the meeting was being held to discuss the ban on Tanzania’s tourist vehicles. However, Kenya later indicated that the agenda for the day would be on the bilateral agreement,” said Mr Rugimbana.

On February 6, Kenya’s East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie announced a ban on Tanzania-registered tourist vans from accessing the country’s airports and tourist sites.

Harrison Mwakyembe, Tanzania’s Minister for East African Co-operation and also the new chair of the EAC Council of Ministers, in a previous interview with The EastAfrican, a sister paper to the Business Daily, said that although the two countries were going to negotiate at a bilateral level, it was an unfortunate development for Kenya to ban Tanzania vans from JKIA.