Exhibitors at the 8th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) which is underway at the Speke Resort Convention Center Munyonyo have rated it “the best organized yet.”
Prime News has conducted several interviews with exhibitors who have largely noted that the indoor exhibition space is a game changer for POATE.
According to Dr. Simplicius Gessa, the Head of Public Relations at UTB, POATE 2024 has attracted over 240 exhibitors and 70 hosted buyers among other tourism stakeholders flocking the event for seminars, meetings and the exhibition.
“We have parallel running activities, we are doing trade exhibitions where people are showcasing their tourism innovations and offerings, and seminar sessions from different speakers handling select topics. The topics being tackled include; Responsible Tourism – how Information Technology (IT) is contributing to tourism development, how to invest using the most innovative ways and also getting value for these sector investments,” Dr. Gessa said.
He added, “We have experts and people of skill and knowledge who are sharing with us areas of improvement and what we as Government and the private sector can do to market our diversity.”
Speaking to Prime News on day one of the expo, Christina Nampewo, the Executive Director Native Expeditions Safaris noted that compared to last year’s POATE, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) has done the best preparations and given the exhibitors a worthwhile experience.
“I wasn’t an exhibitor last year, I was a participant. However, the face of the exhibition grounds was not one to sell Uganda after the heavy rains. I am so glad that the responsible authorities have done the necessary arrangements to have the event indoors because now we are immune to weather changes,” Nampewo said.
Asked why she chose to exhibit at the expo, Nampewo told Prime News that POATE is a huge platform where she hopes to engage potential clients, fellow exhibitors and learn from industry experts.
“I have already had a good number of meetings with the hosted buyers and other tour operators. I have engaged potential clients and I am optimistic that sooner than later, these meetings will bear fruit,” she added.
Wakia Nyamasyo, Sales and Marketing Manager of Kenyan-based Neptune Hotels noted that the company has been part of numerous POATE editions but this year’s edition is better.
“We have met people who have picked real interest in our destination properties especially the Diani side. People are making critical inquiries and that’s the starting point of making a sale. There is an inquiry, after that they ask for prices, then negotiate or tell you to process the deal. So, we have had a good number of people coming by for inquiries and that’s good for business,” Nyamasyo said.
She added, “I expect to go home with more new accounts not only from the Ugandan tour agents but also the hosted buyers. I also look forward to building lasting business-relationships.”
Nyamasyo heaped praises on the hospitality of the Ugandan people, noting that “it’s not common practice for people to go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and at ease.”
She, however, noted that the online portal for booking meetings has had a few glitches.
Exhibiting her eco-tourism center – Ewaffe Cultural Village, Ms. Aisha Nabwanika, the CEO, said she is overwhelmed with the number of people visiting her stall and making progressive engagements as regards visiting the place.
“The Ewaffe stall is really busy, we have so many scheduled meetings with tour operators especially because they are looking at including the cultural tourism component in their packages. This edition of POATE really is more organized and we looking forward to greater business connections,” said Aisha.
For Isaac Muyingo representing the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHHTI), this year’s POATE is better because the venue is spacious and well partitioned.
“Our major aim here is to get more students to join the institute but also form partnerships that are crucial for skills development. We have had many inquiries made by people who until yesterday didn’t know about our services or courses, so this is great,” Muyingo said.
Solayappan Narayanan representing Savvy Hospitality – a hotel management company based in India says a client they have in Uganda interested them in registering for POATE.
Narayanan noted that irrespective of the technical glitches experienced in the in the booking of B2B meetings online, his experience has been a good one and the days have been fruitful.
“This has proved to be beneficial for us. I have got a lot of business leads and hopefully some will materialize. We still have a day to go and I am optimistic this will be a good one as well,” he added.
Asked if he would consider exhibiting again next year, Narayanan noted that once in two years is feasible.
“Next year Savvy Hospitality will be exhibiting in Kenya at the Magical Kenya Tourism Expo. So, we might consider coming back to Uganda in 2026. But overall, this is a huge platform for business growth,” he said.
Consumer Day
After two successful day of B2B meeting and seminar sessions, the third day – Saturday will be the Consumer day.
“The final Day is specifically dedicated to the consumers where we have free conversations on how to do business in the tourism industry, how to book tour packages. Tour operators will be interacting with the consumer and marketing their various offerings,” Dr. Gessa said.
The day will climax with the Sustainability and Fair Trade Awards, an initiative of Enabel Uganda, UTB’s newly unveiled development partner.