Single tourist visa for EAC

In February 2014, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya began to use a single tourist visa that allows tourists to travel freely between their countries. By the end of 2014, the other EAC partner states must finish all formalities in order to join. Burundi is still working on it.-Diane Uwimana

Bonaventure Ndikumana: “We are waiting for the ministerial ordinance which must be signed by the minister of security.” ©Iwacu

The single tourist visa costs $100 and provides multiple-entry access to the three countries. With the establishment of this EAC visa, the region can be marketed as a single tourist destination, which is expected to increase the number of tourists.
Bonaventure Ndikumana, advisor at the Ministry in charge of EAC Affairs, in charge of Tourism and Wildlife Management, indicates that the process of Burundi joining the EAC tourist visa is ongoing. “We are waiting for the ministerial ordinance which must be signed by the minister of security. The ordinance will determine the supply of visa to tourists and foreign investors and how we will collaborate with the other East African countries”, he explains.
The advisor points out that they are working in a hurry, because the deadline is fixed at the end of this year. “During the 5th meeting of the Sectoral Council on tourism and wildlife management held in November 2013, EAC ministers in charge of tourism insisted that partner States must accelerate the introduction of the single tourist visa before December 2014.”

Not everyone is keen on Burundi joining the agreement. Avry Mbonicuye, the Director of Intore Tours, a Tourism Agency in Bujumbura, mentions that the single tourist visa could not prevent Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya from losing income. “If these countries combined received 2 million tourists per year, surely, they have decreased to one and half million. This also affects our country because the majority of tourists come to Burundi after visiting the other countries of the EAC”, Mbonicuye notes.
The number of tourists in Burundi decreased last season due to several reasons. “Considering that different attacks occurred in Kenya, the most popular tourist destination has shifted towards Southern African countries such as Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa which are more secure than Northern, Western and Eastern African countries.”
The chairman of Intore Tours shares the story of Tanzania, that he believes lost many tourists to other EA countries. “Tanzania receives about a million tourists a year, why would it accept to join other countries and share their benefits?” Avry Mbonicuye wonders.

He believes Tanzania would advise Burundi not to join in a hurry and collect benefit from the single Burundian tourist visa. However, he does admit that the majority of tourists that visit Burundi come through Nairobi, Kenya. “It is the first entrance point for many tourists in the East African Community”, says Mbonicuye.

How to share the benefits?

Bonaventure Ndikumana, from the Ministry in charge of EAC Affairs, says that during the 6th meeting of the sectoral council on 6-10 November 2014, ministers will review the progress made concerning the introduction of the EAC single tourist visa.
However, the sharing of benefits still remains an obstacle. “The country that receives the tourists first will get 40% of the fees while others countries will receive 30%. A further 10% will be attributed to administration and management in the first country that receives the tourists. How to share the remainder of the stipend continues to be a major challenge”, says Ndikumana.