Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) spearheads a strong post-Covid recovery.
In June 2024, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities released the latest Tourism Industry Performance Report, indicating a recovery post-COVID-19.
International tourist arrivals showed an 82.6% growth, while tourism earnings increased by 48.5%.
Revenue from Uganda’s tourism industry is expected to reach $1.5 million in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels, with full recovery anticipated in 2025.
Before COVID-19, the tourism industry was the country’s number one foreign exchange earner, contributing 3.6% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but dropped to rock bottom due to world-wide travel bans.
There has been a steady recovery, largely due to the contribution of the Uganda Tourism Board.
About the Uganda Tourism Board
Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is a statutory organisation established by the Uganda Tourism Board Statute of 1994 and reconstituted in the Tourism Act 2008.
The Board’s mandate is to promote and popularise Uganda as a viable holiday destination both locally and internationally in order to increase the contribution of tourism earnings and GDP.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is Lilly Ajarova, and she reveals that their primary role is to increase the number of visitors and enhance the visitor experience by providing information and services that help visitors plan their trips and enjoy their stay in Uganda.
Vision, mission, and core values
UTB seeks to be the centre of excellence in destination management in Africa with its mission to sustainably promote Uganda as the preferred tourist destination for inclusive development.
Its core values include professionalism, integrity, teamwork, innovativeness, and sustainability.
New identity, big prospects
In 2022, UTB rebranded with a new brand identity, “Explore Uganda, The Pearl of Africa.” The new identity, launched by President Museveni, was viewed as an essential component of UTB’s Strategic Plan for the Financial Year 2020/21–2024/25, which seeks to “sustainably promote Uganda as a competitive tourism destination for inclusive development” with a strategic goal to “sustainably increase the volume and value of tourism in Uganda.
“Explore, Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is an invitation to tourists—domestic, regional, and international—to rediscover the magnificence of the Pearl,Ajarova says.
Under this plan, UTB is pursuing five major objectives, namely to increase tourist arrivals, increase investment and job creation, increase the competitiveness of the tourism destination, improve collection and access to information, and improve internal efficiency and effectiveness.
From the above objectives, UTB expects, by 2024/25, to grow revenue to $1.862b, which is over and above the pre-pandemic revenue of $1.45b. They also expect to increase inbound tourism revenues per visitor from $1,036 to $1,500.
They expect to recover the contribution of tourism to total employment at 667,600 people (6.3% of total employment), recover the average number of international tourist arrivals from the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, China, and Japan at 225,300 tourists, and increase the number of direct flight routes to Europe and Asia from 6 to 30.
Milestones
The Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE), 2024, an annual tourism and travel trade show organised by the Uganda Tourism Board at Speke Resort Munyonyo, was a huge success. It attracted over 250 regional and international exhibitors and 70 hosted buyers from all over the world.
By 2023, the visitor numbers had recovered and surpassed the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 by 20%. Visitor numbers increased from 101,331 in 2020 to 387,914 in 2023, compared to 323,861 in 2019.
In 2022, a total of 814,508 tourist arrivals were recorded, which is a 59% rise over 2021’s total of 512,945 visitors.
Today, tourism’s direct gross domestic product (GDP) accounts for 3.64 percent of the direct contribution.
Tourism also accounts for a large share of total employment, directly employing close to 1.6 million people, 68 percent of whom were females, and accounting for 14.7 percent of the total number of jobs.
The big five (the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino) continue to attract a large number of tourists. A safari in Uganda is 30% cheaper compared to one in Kenya, which is partly responsible for the big influx.
Uganda has got the great apes that have made it more famous. Popular celebrities like Akon and Simon Curtis continue to visit the Bwindi impenetrable national forest, which has over half of the world’s mountain gorillas.
Uganda was nominated as the “Most Desirable Country in the Rest of the World” by the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards 2024.
The Uganda National Museum is undergoing extensive renovations starting August 1, 2024, expected to last for ten months. These upgrades aim to preserve and enhance our rich historical, cultural, and natural heritage.
Challenges
The main challenges include inadequate tourism marketing and promotion, an unpredictable political environment, and unfavourable
economic and business environment,
Poaching in the protected areas has led to a reduction of wildlife, with some species going extinct, thereby negatively affecting tourism in Uganda.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to visit Uganda?
Uganda’s weather is relatively sunny throughout the year, but it does experience a relatively rainy season between April and May and September and November.
What is the cost of a Uganda safari?
Uganda has very cheap safaris compared to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. The cost of gorilla permits in Uganda is $700, which has added a fixed cost to many of the itineraries.
Where are the UTB main offices located?
It is located on Block C, 5th and 6th floors, Lugogo House, plot 42, Lugogo bypass.
Do I need a visa to enter Uganda?
Yes! With effect from March 1, 1999, the Government of Uganda introduced visa requirements for all visitors entering Uganda.
However, the following countries are exempt: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and South Sudan. Angola, Comoros, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Madagascar, Rwanda, the Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.