OPEN SKY’ POLICY TO EASE TRAVEL AND BOOST EA TOURISM
Four East African countries are working on an open sky policy to make it easy for travelers and operators to move through the region.
In the deal, airlines from four member countries would operate as domestic carriers.
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority director general Gilbert Kibe said Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan are holding talks on a multi-lateral air service agreement. “Before the end of this year, we shall know the way forward on the matter,” he said.
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It is agreeable that hotels are almost empty as only a few airlines have been licensed to operate scheduled flights to particular airports in the East African region. Perhaps an open sky approach will spur travel within the region, especially in the form of citizens of East Africa visiting other parts of the East African region.
East African states are moving away from marketing individual countries, to pooling resources, and marketing East Africa, as a single tourism destination with the tagline “seamless boarders”, and using incentives like the single tourist visa which permits a traveler to visit Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda under a single visa.
