Tourism Update looks at the security situation in major destinations across East Africa.

Bernard Itebete, Corporate Sales Manager at Sarova Hotels in Kenya, which is represented by Southern Spoor Marketing in South Africa and Europe, says: “Tourists visiting East Africa need to be open minded when they visit the region. They need to come prepared knowing that, like anywhere else in the world, their security is paramount and they should exercise caution when touring certain areas, as they would in any other city. Most parts of East Africa are peaceful and generally the people are very friendly and accommodating.”

Kenya

Travel advisories issued by the UK and US strongly discourage travel to the country’s eastern border, shared with Somalia. In line with this, Itebete says: “Security in Kenya has been increased following threats from terrorist cells, mostly operating in the Horn of Africa.”

Popular beach destinations along the northern part of the coast fall under areas that tourists are warned not to visit due to instability in Somalia. Some travel advisories warn against travel in Lamu County, but do say that Lamu Island and Manda Island are safe for visitors, recommending that tourists wishing to visit the islands do so by air to Manda Airport and not by road via the mainland.

For the remainder of the country, including key destinations like Nairobi, Mombasa and the Masai Mara National Park, travel is considered safe. Itebete says that after a few incidents of crime, particularly in Nairobi, in 2011 the government established the Kenya Tourist Police Unit, “whose core mandate is to patrol Kenya’s beaches, hotels and tourist circuits with a view to offering enhanced security to tourists”.

During a period of political instability between August and October last year, a number of countries upped their advisory to warn of more imminent danger. However, it appears things have stabilized, with Chris Roche, Chief Marketing Officer at Wilderness Safaris, saying: “Kenya has moved beyond the concerns that some travellers had over the elections last year and we are not aware of any perceptions regarding safety and security that are affecting travel here.”

Tanzania

Katrina Russell, Marketing Co-ordinator at Sanctuary Retreats, notes that Tanzania has had no incidents with regard to tourists. Similarly, travel advisories suggest that Tanzania has been a trouble-free destination for tourists. Sally Grierson of Great Migration Camps says: “Tanzania has had no political instability or terrorist-related incidents and is regarded as a very safe destination.  There is very little crime in the country.”

Rwanda

Tourists are advised to avoid areas close to the Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) borders due to increased threats in the DRC. Similarly, Burundi remains politically unstable and tourists in Rwanda are cautioned against visiting the Rwanda-Burundi border.

Roche says that guests have raised concerns over trips to Rwanda, due to its proximity to such volatile regions: “Early this year, after widely reported insecurity in neighbouring DRC, we had some enquiries from concerned guests, but all travelled and were glowing in their reports for Rwanda after travel. The high-profile visit of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi to Rwanda certainly also helped reassure prospective travellers and we have had no subsequent enquiries regarding security and safety in this very stable country.”

Uganda

Security in Uganda is only of concern in certain regions. Tourists are discouraged from visiting the northern border shared with South Sudan due to the instability in that country. While terrorism is not of great concern, crime can be a problem with the US warning against travelling alone, particularly at night. Itebete says Uganda, along with neighbours Kenya and Tanzania, has been very good at sharing intelligence between governments that has led to an increase in awareness of incidents in the region. Likewise, Russell says there have not been any major incidents. Uganda continues to grow its tourism offerings, with gorilla tourism becoming increasingly popular.

Ethiopia

Tourists to Ethiopia are advised to avoid almost all border regions due to instability in neighbouring countries. Until recently, the Ethiopia-Eritrea border was a source of tension. Earlier this month, the two nations signed a peace accord and Ethiopia Airlines resumed flights to Eritrea. The capital city of Addis Ababa is considered safe, with most countries only advising tourists to avoid large crowds.