The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is seeking to tap into the country’s missions abroad in order to boost tourism growth and investment opportunities.
Lilly Ajarova, the Chief Executive Officer of UTB, recently told heads of Uganda Missions stationed in neighboring countries to enhance economic growth and development.
The envoys were drawn from the ‘Ring States’ which include Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, DR Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, and Burundi.
“We are calling upon our missions abroad to support us in our tourism efforts, particularly in the areas of branding and marketing, as well as attracting investors to our Explore Uganda campaign,” Ajarova said.
“We have seen the success of this collaboration in the past, where our missions have brought potential investors to assess our country’s offerings, and we hope that with their continued support, we will yield even more positive results,” said Ms. Ajarova.
According to Ajarova, “Uganda has made significant progress in tourism development, rising from an unknown destination to become the 10th best destination on the continent for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) in 2018.”
“The country currently ranks seventh and aims to become one of the top five destinations in Africa,” she said.
Uganda recently hosted several global conferences including the NAM and G77+China summits.
“The recent addition of the Speke Resort and Convention Center has enhanced Uganda’s competitiveness, allowing the country to host large conferences and attract more travelers. The UTB targets flexible travelers who are likely to extend their stay, spend more, and generate more economic and social benefits for Uganda,” Ms. Ajarova said.
Amb. Richard Kabonero, who is Head of Regional Economic Cooperation, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was developing a new framework aimed at promoting economic growth through commercial diplomacy.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to come up with a framework under which we can guide our missions abroad to market the country in three main areas: increasing our exports, attracting foreign direct investments, and attracting tourists,” Kabonero said.
The diplomat emphasized the importance of addressing non-tariff barriers, including standards, competition, and lack of compliance with regional trade protocols.
“Our missions are charged with addressing those NTBs,” he said. The ministry is also working to address tariff barriers, infrastructure challenges, and standards and certification issues to increase exports.
The officials were speaking during a four-day Joint Regional Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Retreat with heads of Uganda Missions stationed in neighbouring countries to enhance economic growth and development.
