Uganda and Kenya Launch 5th Coast Tourism & Innovation Summit in Mombasa
Mombasa, Kenya — Uganda and Kenya have officially kicked off preparations for the 5th Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit, set to take place October 26–27, 2026, at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa in Mombasa. The media briefing, held on-site yesterday September 1, 2026 and led by Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, Uganda’s Consul General in Mombasa, mobilized coastal tourism operators, Kenyan media houses, and regional stakeholders around a shared agenda to deepen bilateral tourism cooperation through technology, youth innovation, and seamless mobility.
Summit Theme and Strategic Focus
This year’s summit is convened under the theme: “Unlocking Tourism Opportunities: Resolving Policy Bottlenecks through Technology, Youth and Seamless Mobility across East Africa.” Organizers describe the event as a highly structured business-to-business platform focused on actionable trade distribution, regional infrastructure investment, and cross-border tech innovations—moving beyond destination promotion to address the systems and policies that determine how effectively tourists and tourism businesses access and benefit from East African markets.
Ambassador Kiguli emphasized the milestone nature of this edition: “As we mark ten years of the Consulate’s presence in Mombasa, we are moving beyond dialogue to concrete, action-oriented cooperation, particularly in harnessing technology and youth innovation to unlock the full potential of tourism between our two countries.”
Complementary Tourism Packaging: Selling East Africa Together
A core strategy highlighted at the briefing is the complementary packaging of Uganda and Kenya’s non-competing tourism strengths to create a more compelling regional product. Kenya’s marine tourism and white-sand beaches will be marketed alongside Uganda’s mountain gorilla trekking, savanna wildlife safaris, and the source of the River Nile. As Kenya’s Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano noted at the launch: “Uganda has products that Kenya can sell. Kenya has products that Uganda can sell. Together, we can sell East Africa.”
Youth and Digital Innovation at the Forefront
The summit will heavily feature youth-led digital innovations and travel tech applications designed to modernize how East African travel is branded, sold, and experienced. Highlights include showcases of digital tourism products built by young entrepreneurs and platforms such as “Roam Uganda,” which aim to simplify destination marketing, bookings, payments, and access to tourism information across borders. A dedicated policy session will examine free movement of people under Article 104 of the East African Community treaty, with organizers hoping to produce a joint declaration for submission to the EAC Secretariat.
Tackling Mobility Barriers: High Airfares and Infrastructure Hurdles
High travel costs—especially expensive regional airfares—have emerged as a major obstacle to deeper tourism and business ties between Uganda and Kenya. Stakeholders note that the 50-minute flight from Entebbe to Nairobi carries a price tag that limits cross-border tourist numbers, framing the issue not as a demand problem but as a “friction problem.” This year’s summit will put cutting airfares and easing transport infrastructure hurdles at the center of discussions, with the goal of making cross-border regional travel smoother and more affordable.
Registration and Participation
Travel agents, tourism operators, and innovators can register and book participation slots directly via the official Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism Summit Portal. The event is convened by the Consulate General of Uganda in Mombasa in collaboration with tourism stakeholders from Uganda and the Kenya Coast, and is supported by partners including the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and regional tourism boards.
Context and Momentum
The Mombasa media briefing follows a separate launch event held August 26–27 in Kampala at Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where stakeholders from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in tourism, innovation, and regional integration. With growing momentum for stronger regional tourism ties, the 5th Summit aims to deliver concrete outcomes that reduce friction, leverage youth creativity, and position East Africa as a unified, tech-enabled tourism destination.
