A new dawn is breaking in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, following Susan Nsambu Nakawuki’s assumption of office as the new State Minister for Tourism.

The handover ceremony, held at the ministry’s headquarters, was attended by Tourism Minister Tom Butime, former State Minister Martin Mugarra Bahinduka, Permanent Secretary Doreen Katusiime, and Uganda Tourism Board Chairperson Pearl Hoareau Kakooza. Others were UWA Executive Director Dr James Musinguzi, Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) President Ambassador Yogi Biriggwa, UWA Board Chairman Pro. James Kalema, and UTB CEO Juliana Kagwa.

Minister Nakawuki, who took over as Uganda’s State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, is inheriting a sector whose previous leadership had established strong foundational infrastructure, conservation achievements, and tourism assets.

Under her predecessor’s tenure, the government invested heavily in upgrading key tourism attractions, namely, the Source of the Nile, Kitagata Hot Springs, Kagulu Hill, the Equator Monument, and the historic Mugaba Palace, among others. These investments were aimed at improving visitor experiences and increasing the commercial value of Uganda’s tourism assets.

In her speech, Nakawuki emphasised the need to address challenges affecting international tourists, particularly those related to entry processes and destination perceptions. She said that one of her immediate priorities is to resolve bottlenecks associated with Uganda’s electronic visa system and broader traveller entry procedures. She added that for a sector competing against other destinations across Africa and beyond, ease of access has become a critical factor influencing tourists’ decisions.

Tourism industry stakeholders always argue that attracting high-value tourists requires more than just marketing campaigns. It is also about looking at the entire journey a visitor takes, from visa application to arrival experience, which must be seamless.

Nakawuki stressed the need to counter misinformation and to aggressively promote Uganda’s tourism credentials because reputation management has become a core component of tourism competitiveness.

The new minister says she supports diversifying Uganda’s tourism source markets beyond the traditional regions. She said while Europe and North America are important markets, growing opportunities exist across Asia, the Middle East and the wider African continent. Diversifying will reduce dependence on a narrow visitor base and strengthen the sector’s resilience.

Minister Butime reiterated that tourism product diversification must become a national priority. He said that while Uganda’s wildlife remains a major tourist attraction, future growth will also depend on developing complementary segments such as meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions, sports tourism, cultural tourism, faith tourism, and specialised eco-tourism experiences.