President Uhuru Kenyatta will officiate at the inaugural East African Tourism Development Forum organised jointly by the United Nation's World Tourism Organisation (WTO), slated for August 20 in Mombasa.
The three-day event has attracted exhibitions and tourism leaders from East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands of Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius, Re-Union, Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte.
A communique from the UN specialised agency states that the meeting will be held at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa.
In a provisional programme, the hosts will be Governor Ali Hassan Joho, WTO Secretary General and Cabinet Secretary General Taleb Rifai and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie, who will welcome international delegates.
Region's potential
UNWTO Regional Director for Africa Elcia Grandcourt will be the moderator during the workshop's first session that will dwell in the state of tourism in Africa, regional performance, opportunities for regional cooperation and outcomes of Brand Africa conference.
The theme of the forum is 'Connecting Opportunities'.
"We feel honoured to be bringing together tourism leaders from the region and the Vanila Island nations, in an effort to accelerate the unlocking tourism," said the UNWTO statement.
Seychelles Tourism Minister Alain St Ange in an email interview with The Standard confirmed his attendance, saying the forum will have a series of 'thoughtful, solutions-orientated discussions focused on advancing tourism growth in the East Africa region.'
There will also be an examination into East African regional image, with a view of raising awareness and understanding the potential tourism.
At the conclusion of the forum on the 21st, the WTO will share a summary of outcomes and agreed on steps, which will provide tourism leaders with a framework for future cooperation.
Delegates attending the forum will also have an opportunity to sample the 2nd edition of the Mombasa International Cultural Festivals, which will be underway in the Port city of Mombasa.
WTO is forecasting international tourist arrivals to grow between three and four per cent this year. It estimates that by 2030, the number of international arrivals will reach 1.8 billion visitors.
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