EAST AFRICAN TOURISM PLATFORM ELECTS BONIFACE BYAMUKAMA AS NEW PRESIDENT
(Posted 20th May 2016)
The annual general meeting of the East African Tourism Platform, the regional tourism private sector apex body to which all East African Community member states belong, earlier today elected Uganda’s Boniface Byamukama as its new President.
The meeting took place at the Lake Elementaita Serena Luxury Tented Camp in Kenya’s Rift Valley and representatives from across the region attended the AGM.
Byamukama at home in Uganda serves as President of the Uganda Tourism Association, Uganda’s national tourism apex body under which all key subsector associations are united to speak with one voice.
Launched nearly five years ago has EATP accomplished major advances such as the common East African Tourist Visa, to which at present Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya subscribe and has also been the major driving factor in the introduction of Visa free travel for expatriates among these three countries. In addition has EATP lobbied for the lifting of restrictions in air transport between the EAC member states and helped to successfully launch a common tourism trade fair promotional presence of EAC members.
EATP’s coordinator, best described as CEO, is Carmen Nibigira who is a former Director General of the Burundian national tourism office.
(Seen here is newly elected EATP President Boniface Byamukama on the right, next to Carmen Nibigira and Bagumako Edouards from Burundi who was elected Vice President of EATP)
Byamukama was mentioned here before as an example of how tourism business are now beginning to integrate the second generation into family run businesses in the sector when an article was featured on eTN some time ago (http://www.eturbonews.com/61237/uganda-s-tourism-industry-comes-age)
Congratulations to Boniface and all the best during his term of office.
