To increase arrivals, Uganda is hosting a three-day tourism expo as the East African country strives.
On Thursday 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 city.
Claire Mugabi, head of marketing at the UTB, told Xinhua that at least 250 exhibitors are expected to showcase various products, with more than 1,000 visitors likely to grace the event.
She said that emphasis is being put on global emerging markets like China
Mugabi said traditionally they’ve been targeting markets like the U.S., Canada, and Germany. But with a growing number of Chinese traveling around the world, the potential for us to attract more travelers from China is great.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, 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.
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 according to the ministry.
According to a report issued by the ministry, 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 data from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Tourism is one of Uganda’s major foreign exchange earners, contributing about 5 percent to the country’s gross domestic product.
