The Annual Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair for this year (2012) officially opened and ended successfully in Arusha,Tanzania’s northern tourist capital with the institution of East Africa’s very first Tourism Platform. The fair is sponsored by Trade Mark East Africa and Tanzania has been the very first country to welcome EATP and focused involving the private sector in the East African Community (EAC) integration process.
The Platform will be the peak of the private sector body in Eastafrica’s tourism industry working closely with the EAC State Ministries, the EAC Secretariat, East African Business Council and private sector organizations in an effort to improve on the intra and inter-regional tourism with the use of advocacy, better marketing, skills development, research and making good use of the information available amongst themselves.
Ms. Waturi Matu, the Coordinator of EATP said while addressing people at the launch that the domestic and regional approach used in tourism is necessary in East Africa so that the region successfully attain its general economic goals. An increased regional tourism promotion provided low chances of investment but with much benefit as far as income and employment opportunities are concerned in the region. EATP would like to see a reduction in the obstacles to intra and inter- regional tourism, improve on the regional tourism marketing approach and also ensure continuous tourism skills as well as encourage corresponding principles and codes of conduct of tourism facilities and services provided.
The EATP also wishes to improve on the access to finance and risk management services as well as proper information provision and networking chances. The EATP will be having more launches in Rwanda between the 14th and 16th June 2012 at the Kwita Izina, then in Kenya on 22nd June 2012 at the Kenya Travel Awards but all these will be following the launch of the Karibu fair in Arusha.
The Karibu Travel and Tourism Fairs are at the usual place where it is held every year, on Magereza grounds of Kisongo situated opposite the International School of Moshi (ISM) Arusha Campus, along the main Dodoma Road and it closed on Sunday, June 10. Trade Mark East Africa is sponsored by a number of development organizations to improve on the regional trade and economic integration in East Africa by working closely with East African Community (EAC) institutions, national governments and the business as well as the civil society organizations. It is an NGO in this matter.
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