For many years,
Kenya has used Tanzania tourist destinations to make its tourism package more
marketable. However, since early 2000, Tanzania has invested heavily in
differentiating its product from that of Kenya, a strategy that has contributed
to the 1 million tourists mark.
Looking ahead, Tanzania tourism market
differentiation is more important than anything else because it is what informs
the choices of its tourist who come to Tanzania. Thus the joint tourist visa
will work against Tanzania’s differentiation strategy.
Therefore all of the
initiatives Kenya is coming up with under the coalition of the willing are more
about protecting its economic interests and can be more easily be achieved by a
coalition with Uganda and Rwanda because they are not Kenya competitors in
ports or in tourism.
As for the current
tense relations Tanzania and Rwanda, these has little chance of changing East
African Community dynamics because the competition between Tanzania and Kenya
will improve services and give Rwanda a choice as to who delivers goods cheaper
to its market; for now, Mombasa seems a winner, but come 2017 when Bagamoyo
port is finished, the market will decide.