The East African Community’s Regional Tourism Expo moves from its maiden venue in Northern Tanzania, to Burundi, where the second outing gets staged in late September 2022.
As for the dates, the expo should be taking place between September 23 and 30.
Organizers hail this Second EAC Tourism Expo as platform to promote the East African Region of seven countries, as a single tourism destination.
The Expo also provides a platform for tourism service providers’ business to business engagements, unveiling tourism investment opportunities while addressing the challenges affecting the tourism and wildlife sectors in the region.
‘Rethinking Tourism for Social Economic Development in the East African Community,’ is the 2022 theme.
It resonates with the United Nations World Tourism Day theme that provokes tourism destinations and stakeholders around the world to remodel tourism following the devastating impact of the global pandemic in the Sector.
The EXPO features three days of Exhibitions, Seminars and Investment Forum between September 24 and 26 at the ‘Cercle Hippique de Bujumbura,’ grounds and World Tourism Day Celebrations on 27th September, 2022.
The hosted buyers comprising international travel agents and travel trade partners will be taken on familiarization trips to different tourism sites in the Republic of Burundi from 27th – 30th September, 2022.
Christophe Bazivamo, is the EAC Deputy Secretary General in Charge of Productive and Social Sectors who believes there are strong signs of tourism recovery in all the seven Partner States.
“We have noted that the tourism business is coming back and we are confident that by 2024 the region will have fully recovered. We have all it takes including unmatched scenery, abundant wildlife, rich culture and opportunities for business to ensure that tourism in the region is vibrant!”
Christophe Bazivamo – EAC Deputy Secretary General
He encouraged all tourism service providers in EAC to take advantage of the Expo to showcase their offerings and engage with buyers from the region as well as from around the world.
At least 250 exhibitors from over 10 countries, 120 international and regional travel agents and buyers as well as 2500 trade visitors are attending the 2022 EAC Expo this time.
Maiden EAC Regional Tourism Espo took place in Arusha, in October 2021.
The decision to have annual tourism Expos was made by the Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management in July 2021.
About 185 exhibitors participated at the Arusha even against the projected 150 exhibitors and the event attracted over 2,700 trade visitors.
Tourism sector is one of the most important areas of cooperation for EAC owing to its contribution to the economies of our Partner States in terms of 10 percent GDP, 17 Percent Export earnings and 7 Percent employments.
As demonstrated by the international tourist arrivals, tourism in the EAC had steadily been increasing over the years, though at varying rates in each Partner State.
East African Region records a total annual arrivals of close to 7 million on average.
It was earlier on projected that the number would double to about 14.05 million arrivals in 2025.
However, that anticipated growth was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and dropped by about 70 percent in 2020 compared to 2019.