By Richard Onapatum
Uganda has been named the Most Promising New Destination at the Out Bound Travel Market (OTM) Bombay, a prestigious Indo-Asia Tourism Expo held from January 30 to February 1, 2025. This award is a significant milestone for Uganda’s tourism industry, recognizing its potential as a premier destination for travelers.
The Ugandan High Commissioner to India, H.E. Joyce Kakuramatsi Kikafunda, received the award on behalf of the Ugandan delegation. The joint organizers of Uganda’s participation, including the Uganda High Commission New Delhi and Uganda Airlines, believe this event has placed Destination Uganda at the forefront of the potentially largest tourism and travel market in the world.
Uganda’s pavilion was evaluated as the best exhibitor based on a pre-determined criterion that included clientele feedback. The country emerged as the most visited and highly rated stand by outbound and inbound tourism market sellers and buyers. This achievement is a testament to Uganda’s unique products, including primate tracking, bird watching, cultural heritage, safaris, and adventure tourism.
To leverage this award, Uganda plans to continually participate in this prestigious annual event and utilize other similar platforms to establish partnerships with major tourism players in the market. The Uganda High Commission in New Delhi will also organize a familiarization trip for leading tour operators from India to Uganda in the next two months.
Additionally, the Mission is eyeing influencers, including leading travel and tour magazines, as well as Bollywood film actors and producers, to promote Uganda’s tourism industry. The launch of Uganda Airlines’ direct flights between Entebbe and Mumbai since October 2023 has also incentivized travel to Uganda for tourism, trade, and investment.
The Government of Uganda is appreciated for providing the requisite resources for Missions abroad to lead a whole-of-government approach to participate in promotional events like OTM. To realize the objective of tourism contributing $50 billion in the next 15 years, Uganda must sustain participation and visibility at such international fora.