The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
KAMPALA, Uganda | Xinhua | Uganda is hosting a three-day tourism expo as the East African country strives to increase arrivals.
The Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo 2024, organized by state-run Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) under the theme “Responsible Tourism,” opened in Kampala, the capital, on Thursday.
At least 250 exhibitors are expected to showcase various products, with more than 1,000 visitors likely to grace the event, Claire Mugabi, head of marketing at the UTB, told Xinhua.
Emphasis is being put on global emerging markets like China, she said.
“Traditionally we’ve been targeting markets like the U.S., Canada, and Germany,” Mugabi said. “But with a growing number of Chinese travelling around the world … the potential for us to attract more travelers from China is great.”
Uganda aims to raise annual tourism revenue to about 1.9 billion U.S. dollars and increase inbound tourism revenue per visitor from 1,052 dollars to 1,500 dollars, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.
According to the ministry, the country’s tourism revenue for the year ending 2023 rose to more than 1 billion dollars, up from about 687,200 million dollars in the year ending 2022.
The country received about 1.3 million international tourist arrivals in 2023, up 56.5 percent from 2022, with arrivals from Africa continuing to dominate Uganda’s inbound tourism, at 89.2 percent, according to a report issued by the ministry.
Tourism is one of Uganda’s major foreign exchange earners, contributing about 5 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, according to data from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. ■
