East African Community states urged to liberalise airspace – Tourism efforts focused via initiative

East African Community (EAC) Partner States have been encouraged to liberalise their airspaces to boost the regional tourism industry. Fred Odek, Chairperson of the East African Tourism Platform (EATP), highlighted that restrictive Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) among Partner States hinder the harmonisation of air transport services.

Odek praised initiatives like the East African Single Tourist Visa and the use of national IDs for regional travel, which have positively impacted tourism. Despite the tourism sector being severely affected by the pandemic, showing GDP losses second only to Central America, it remains resilient and crucial for economic recovery. This move can be seen to influence booking rates of Zanzibar luxury hotels, such as hotels like The Residence Zanzibar, with air traffic freedoms being affected.