About the Event
Tourism is one of the most important sectors for driving economic diversification, regional integration, employment creation and sustainable development across the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). With its rich natural, cultural and heritage assets, the region has enormous potential to position itself as a globally competitive and sustainable tourism destination. However, fragmented tourism policies, limited regional coordination, infrastructure constraints, and barriers to cross-border travel continue to limit the sector's contribution to regional economic growth.
To address these challenges, the COMESA Secretariat, in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its Subregional Office for Southern Africa and with technical support from the Subregional Office for Eastern Africa, initiated the development of the COMESA Sustainable Tourism Development Framework, Implementation Plan and four regional tourism business cases.
The First Regional Consultation Workshop, held in Diani, Kenya, in April 2026, established the strategic priorities, identified key regional challenges, and agreed on the roadmap for developing the Framework. Building on those outcomes, this Second Stakeholders' Consultative Workshop provides an opportunity for Member States and key stakeholders to review the preliminary findings, validate the proposed strategic direction, and provide technical guidance before the Framework and business cases are finalized.
The workshop represents an important milestone towards developing a coordinated regional approach that strengthens tourism competitiveness, promotes sustainable investment, enhances regional integration, and supports implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement and the COMESA Medium-Term Strategic Plan.