East Africa Ready to Set a Standard Visa fee

The news from Arusha, Tanzania reveal that all East African countries which include Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya have come to an understanding  about the tourist visa fees with an intention of improving on the performance of the tourism industry and therefore be able to increase on the amount of revenue that is collected in the region’s revenue. And according to some Tanzanian official, this uniform tourist’s visa fee will also help market East Africa as one single tourist’s destination.

According to the report, each of the three countries is currently charging $50 but they are still discussing other measures they have to undertake to market the region as a single destination so said Lazaro Nyalandu the deputy minister of natural resources and tourism. He added while addressing people at the opening of a three-day Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair held at the Magereza open grounds in Arusha, Tanzania that it is most likely tat the three countries will have one regional tourist visa given the fact that they have been able to come up with a single customs union and will keep on executing the regional common market protocol.

The Karibu travel and tourism fair attracted over 250 exhibitors from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, DR Congo and many more countries which exposed it to more potential markets. It was organized by the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT). Lazaro Nyalandu said that Tanzania had come out as the victor in a similar event called the INDABA which was in Durban, South Africa, from May 12 to 15, 2012.

Satbir Hanspaul who is the managing g director of Hanspaul Automechs said in the East African Business Week that this introduction of a single visa will help East Africa become one cheap tourist’s destination and therefore attract tourist from lots of countries who would have gone to other countries.  And Boniface Byamukama, Chairman of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators said even though discussions for single visa are still going on, it is important that East Africa is marketed as a single destination.