Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia, has decried the poor rural coverage of telecom infrastructure such as reliable mobile networks and high-speed internet, arguing it has an impact on the growth of the East African tourism sector.

Vanhelleputte was presenting on a panel at the 4th Oromia Tourism Week with commissioner Lelisa Duga, Frank Gisha, Beriso Amelo, Professor Ray, and Joan Ndung'u about the problems and practical solutions to remove hurdles to regional integration in the tourism sector.

The panel heard how East African tourism may benefit greatly from the stunning landscape, diversified wildlife, and rich cultural heritage. However, suffers with poor rural coverage of telecoms infrastructure, including reliable mobile networks and high-speed internet access.

Furthermore, differing telecom operator standards, such as roaming and mobile banking apps not being freely accessible in other countries, as well as uneven and fragmented digital services, were also mentioned as a source of inconvenience for tourists.

Vanhelleputte commented: “To realize a seamless regional integration in the tourism sector it is important to improve telecom infrastructure and ensure availability of reliable mobile and high-speed internet access in tourist destinations.

“While traveling, roaming (cost and availability) issues impact tourists challenging their access to real-time information/ data. Solving the challenges faced by tourists requires a collaborative approach involving governments, telecom service providers in the different countries, and the tourism sector.”