The 5th Uganda – Kenya Coast
Tourism & Innovation Summit
Unlocking Tourism Opportunities: Resolving Policy Bottlenecks through Technology, Youth and Seamless Mobility across East Africa
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Background
Since 2022, the Consulate General of Uganda in Mombasa, working with key tourism stakeholders in Uganda and the Kenya Coast, has convened an annual Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism Conference as a flagship platform for bilateral tourism cooperation. Over the past four editions, the partnership has built an active network of tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers and tourism bodies across both destinations. The accompanying familiarisation trip programme has equipped more than 450 stakeholders with first-hand knowledge of tourism products on both sides of the border. In 2026, the initiative enters a new phase. The annual meeting has been elevated to a Summit, with a more targeted and action-oriented approach focused on addressing policy bottlenecks and advancing practical solutions. Participation is targeted at 150–200 delegates drawn from tourism, technology, government and investment sectors. The 2026 edition marks the fifth annual collaboration between the Consulate General of Uganda and the Kenyan Coast, the tenth anniversary of the Consulate being active in Mombasa, and the imminent move by the Consulate to its newly owned premises.
Against the above background, the Consulate General and key tourism stakeholders in Uganda and Kenya are organizing the 5th Uganda- Kenya Coast Tourism Summit, Exhibition and Fam trip. The Conference and Exhibition will be held on 26th – 27th October 2026 at the Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa, Mombasa. The conference will be preceded by a Fam trip to the Kenya Coast by Ugandan tourism stakeholders from 26th – 27th October, and a golf tournament that will be held at Vipingo Ridge. The conference and related activities will leverage on the achievements of the previous years and the emerging issues in the partnership.
Rationale
Three intersecting priorities shape the 2026 Summit, guiding our focus toward actionable regional integration, technology, and high-level execution:
Technology and Youth Innovation
The Summit will build on the 2025 Conference theme on youth, innovation and technology by moving towards the commissioning and showcasing of prototype solutions, including digital applications, data-driven platforms and virtual experience tools tailored to the Uganda–Kenya Coast corridor.
Seamless Regional Mobility
The Summit will take structured stock of the implementation of Article 104 of the EAC Treaty on the progressive removal of restrictions on the movement of persons, labour and services, identifying barriers to cross-border movement and exploring practical remedies relevant to tourism and business travel.
Policy, Investment and Institutional Action
The Summit will engage tourism industry players, decision-makers in technology and innovation, and senior government officials capable of advancing the policy commitments discussed and supporting concrete outcomes.
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Us
The overall objective of the 5th Uganda- Kenya Summit: To produce concrete, implementable outcomes on youth-led innovation in tourism and the operationalisation of EAC free movement for tourism and business.
The specific objectives are:
To commission and showcase prototype technology products – including digital tourism applications – that enhance the visitor experience across the Uganda–Kenya Coast corridor.
To generate a structured assessment of Article 104 of the EAC Treaty implementation, identifying specific barriers to free movement and recommending targeted remedies to the relevant national and EAC-level authorities.
To engage senior decision-makers from tourism, technology, finance and trade sectors with a view of enlisting their commitment towards prioritisation of respective institutional resources to Summit outcomes.
To strengthen the bilateral Uganda–Kenya tourism partnership as a model for EAC regional destination branding or marketing.
To produce a Summit Communiqué with named institutional commitments, tracked against agreed timelines.
Topics for Discussion
Key areas of focus for the 2026 Summit
Keynote Address
Unlocking Tourism Opportunities: Resolving Policy Bottlenecks through Technology, Youth and Seamless Mobility across East Africa.
From Conference to Commitment
What has the Uganda–Kenya Coast partnership achieved, and where next?
Youth-Led Innovation in Tourism
Live showcase of digital tourism products developed by youth-led ventures from Uganda and Kenya.
Article 104 in Practice
A structured review of EAC free movement implementation – achievements, gaps, and solutions.
Tourism × Technology × Investment
How tech-enabled tourism creates investable opportunities, including digital platforms and connectivity infrastructure.
Smart Destinations
Data-driven destination management and the future of the Uganda–Kenya Coast corridor.
Picture of Success
At least two prototype digital tourism products commissioned, demonstrated, and supported toward commercialization.
A structured Article 104 implementation assessment completed and tabled, with a joint declaration on priority actions signed by both Governments’ representatives and submitted to the EAC Secretariat.
A Summit Communiqué adopted, with named institutional commitments and delivery timelines, published within two weeks of the Summit and reviewed at the 2027 edition.
A minimum of ten recorded B2B connections between Uganda and Kenya Coast operators, tracked through a three-month post-Summit follow-up.
Tourism trade leads generated at the Summit channelled into the Consulate’s ECD reporting framework in line with the national ECD Strategy.
The event Structure and Methodology
The Conference will be interactive, with inspiring industry leaders in technology and innovation, presentations and B2B which will provide a platform for networking, learning and sharing, equip the key tourism players.
There will be an exhibition by tourism stakeholders from Uganda and the Kenya Coast.
The conference will also include visits to tourism sites in Kenya.
The familiarization trip to Uganda will be planned and organized by the Uganda Consulate General in Mombasa, in conjunction with UTB, AUTO, PSFU, UHOA and key players in the tourism sector in Uganda.
Key Themes
Expected Target Participants
Contact Us
Reach out to the 2026 Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference team
Physical Address
Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa, Mombasa, Kenya.
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