INTERNATIONAL – Uganda is targeting east African arrivals to boost its tourism numbers as it prepares to showcase at a travel exposition in neighboring Kenya next month.
Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) in a statement issued here on Monday said the country will showcase adventure, golf tourism and nightlife under the theme: "Uganda: The adventure capital of East Africa."
UTB, a state-owned agency charged with tourism promotion, said the exposition in the Kenyan capital Nairobi will be a good opportunity for Uganda to "tap into various operators and visitors from Kenya and across the world".
"Kenya remains Uganda's biggest source market for tourists in the region, accounting for 29 percent of total tourism arrivals registered in 2018," the statement said.
According to UTB, African land markets (regional and neighbouring countries) that entered Uganda by road made up 69 percent of Uganda's international arrivals, and grew by 6.1 percent in 2018.
The statement said the government will train its foreign mission officials in the east African region who will act as the country's foreign marketers.
"UTB will conduct destination training for 50 key expatriate communities living in Kenya, government officials and Kenya Tour Operators," the statement added.
Uganda witnessed a 7.4 percent increase in international tourist arrivals in 2018, growing from 1.4 million in 2017 to 1.5 million people in 2018, according to the tourism ministry. Direct revenue from international tourism rose from 1.45 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 to 1.6 billion dollars in 2018.