Uganda wants to boost tourism through the establishment of a new brand called “Explore Uganda The Pearl of Africa“. The official launch of this brand was chaired by the Head of State, Yoweri Museveni.
This initiative comes from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities in collaboration with the Uganda Tourism Board. According to Colonel Tom Butime, Minister of Tourism, the project will serve to “ increase the contribution of tourism to national development » and to « increase the number of visitors to the country ».
President Museveni, for his part, insisted that the emphasis be on promoting ” community and cultural tourism “. He also asked those responsible for the project to publicize the country’s progress with regard to its health system.
This initiative comes as Uganda has recorded a collapse in tourism activity due mainly to the covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, the country has gone from 1.45 billion dollars in revenue before the pandemic to 450 million in 2020, a drop of almost 69%. The “Explore Uganda The Pearl of Africa” brand succeeds “Visit Uganda”, whose campaigns struggled to “ appropriately capture the uniqueness of Ugandan attractions “, recognized the director general of the Tourist Office, Lilly Ajarova.
Kampala aims by 2024/25, through this new brand, to increase the average expenditure per incoming visitor to 1500 dollars against 1036 currently. Before the health crisis, Uganda received 1.6 million foreign tourists according to official data.