A Resilient Tourism Sector
Hon Tom Butime, the Minister of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities
Uganda now has a National Marketing Strategy for its Tourism Sector. The Uganda Tourism Board, under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, officially launched this strategy.
It was flagged off at a fanfare breakfast event at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel on May 15. At the event, the Tourism Minister, Hon Tom Butime hailed the strategy as “a key milestone in marketing Uganda in the international and local markets.”
In a speech delivered by the Director of Tourism, Dr Basil Ajer, Hon Butime appreciated the private sector players, development agencies, and the tourism sector contributions to developing the strategy.
Besides branding Uganda, it positions our country to compete globally, attract investments, grow exports, and boost tourism. It provides a clear and coordinated framework for telling our national story, which is defined by innovation, resilience, and opportunity.
The National Marketing Strategy sets out a bold but achievable vision to grow tourism revenue from $1.4 billion to $5 billion in FY 2028-29. To achieve this, Uganda must boost the tourist arrivals, deepen the quality of their experience, and raise the value of every tourist’s visit.
Tourism contributes 5.5 per cent to Uganda’s GDP and created 750,000 jobs in 2024-25, 68 per cent for youth and women. The country received 2.7 million visitors, whereas 2.4 million Ugandans visited various tourism sites.
“The contribution is a strong indication of the sector’s resilience and recovery, yet we are aware that our potential is not fully tapped,” Butime noted.
Close to 90 per cent of Uganda’s visitors are from within Africa, contributing less per capita than long-haul visitors from Europe (3.1 per cent) and North America (1.9 per cent), respectively.
Uganda’s tourism brand visibility competitiveness is ranked 112th globally and 12th in Africa, hence built on aspirations, data, insight, and international best practices, the National Tourism Marketing Strategy is the answer to these challenges.
The National Marketing Strategy’s key objectives include enhancing Uganda’s global image and reputation, attracting strategic investment and partnerships, promoting our export products internationally, supporting tourism and cultural exchange, and unifying private and public sector messaging under a coherent national brand.
“The strategy directly responds to major global tourism trends; a trendy traveller is conscious, connected, curious, and 80 per cent of international travellers are keenly sensitive to sustainability,” the Minister pointed out.
Fifty-eight per cent of travellers are willing to pay more for eco-conscious businesses, authenticity, cultural merging, and are often highly demanding of off-the-beaten-path adventures.
Uganda is well-positioned to meet that demand with our nature, heritage, and people-led tourism experience.
Ugandans must, however, boldly and consistently communicate this through the channels travellers use: social media, radio, podcasts, and news-generated content.
