On September 26th, 2023, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) held the inaugural Explore Uganda Corporate Football Tournament at Booma Grounds in Hoima City as one of the activities leading up to the World Tourism Day celebrations.
The tournament, according to the Ministry, was and is aimed at incorporating sports into tourism promotion strategies and subsequently fostering development of the sports tourism component.
The day’s celebrations preceded what has become a must-attend event for tourism and travel enthusiasts – the Explore Uganda series. Explore Bunyoro was the fourth edition of the prestigious domestic tourism promotion campaign.
Among the people that made the journey to Hoima, as established by Prime News through personal interactions, a sizable number had a narrow interest in excursions around Bunyoro, their primary cause to support their teams at the tournament.
Indeed, right after the games, some were clearing for one more night at their accommodation facilities, ready to jump on the next bus to Kampala or else where for other business. This speaks to the potential the sports component has as a feeder aspect of tourism.
Likewise, during the just concluded Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival which was a resounding success as per the Tooro Kingdom analysis, Prime News reached out for commentary from individuals who attended the Basketball Tournament officiated at by the King, His Majesty Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru.
A one Jonah Ayesiga, who had travelled all the way from Mbarara, seemed less interested in the details of the previous day’s coronation extravaganza or exploring the sought after Kasenda crater belt. His sole intention was to watch the Mbarara Basketball team – Wazee BC – play.
“It’s amazing that King Oyo actually came to officiate at the games, I had never seen him in person. Honestly, I came to Fort Portal to support my boys, I was surprised to find these many people. We almost didn’t get accommodation in the whole of Fort Portal City,” Ayesiga told Prime News.
A group of three volleyball enthusiasts who travelled from Kampala spent their evenings at Booma Grounds, participating in a friendly volleyball match with their Fort Portal counterparts.
Speaking to Prime News, Albert Tumusiime, a volleyball player affiliated to Uganda Revenue Authority and Speva Sports, noted that the festival created the much-needed opportunity for him and friends to “catch up, play volleyball while also participating in other activities like visiting the mesmerizing Mahoma Falls. I have been able to interact with players I haven’t seen in a while.”
It is safe to say that among the tourist numbers recorded during the 3-day festival, sports tourism drew in a significant portion.
Sports Tourism
The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) defines sports tourism as a type of tourism activity which involves the travel experience of the tourist who either observes as a spectator or actively participates in a sporting event generally involving commercial and non-commercial activities of a competitive nature.
Sports tourism involves moving to a destination to patriciate in some way in a sporting activity and thus can be broken down into types; Active (participatory) sports tourism, Passive (spectatorship), Sports event tourism like the Olympics and Nostalgia sports tourism which caters to people visiting famous sports-related tourist attractions including; stadiums, museums, sports icons graves or childhood homes among others.
UNWTO also states that tourism and sports are interrelated and complementary, “both are powerful forces for development, stimulating investment in infrastructure projects such as airports, stadiums, rods, restaurants projects and sporting complexes that can be enjoyed by the local populace as well as tourists who come to use them.”
Ekyooto Ha Mpango Sports Gala
On Friday September 13th, King Oyo, flanked by some of the kingdom officials, officiated at two sports events; launching the Tooro Kingdom Inter-Clans Juniors Golf Championship at Tooro Golf Club in Fort Portal and the Basketball Tournament at Booma Grounds.
According to Tooro Kingdom, these sports events are aimed at promoting unity through sports as well as nurturing talent among young people.
The Juniors Golf Championship launch courtesy of the Tooro Kingdom-AFRIYEA Golf Academy partnership, drew in scores of youngsters, many of whom are training under the Academy. There were notable attendances from Fort Portal Central MP Hon. Alex Ruhunda, Tooro Kingdom Minister of Tourism Joan Kantu among others and of course, the King, who showcased his calculative moves at the game.
Speaking to one of the local TV stations earlier in August about Uganda’s investment in sports tourism, the State Minister for Tourism Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka noted that government-private sector partnerships are a plausible strategy as regards development of needed amenities in preparation for major sports events like the forthcoming AFCON.
Uganda will be hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) come 2027 and according to analysts, this is a big opportunity for the country to market itself as a prime tourist and sports destination.
“We are improving infrastructure and constructing stadiums like the one in Hoima, and we are extending airports in different regions plus discussing railway transport to reduce the cost. So, we know our focus is right and we will benefit from AFCON,” the minister was quoted as saying.
