Over 240 exhibitors and 70 hosted buyers graced the just concluded Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE), only a fraction of over 5,000 trade visitors and consumers who flocked the Speke Resort Convention Center in Munyonyo for the three-day event.
POATE is one of such annual expos held in the East African Community; Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) in Kenya, Tanzania’s Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE) which is scheduled for 11th to 13th October 2024 and the Rwanda Tourism Week among others.
8 editions down the road since inception, POATE has become a resounding event in the tourism industry in Uganda, the East African region, Africa and beyond.
The expo not only provides a platform for Business-to-Business interaction, it is a hub for Business-to-Consumer engagements, seminars led by tourism professionals and a myriad of opportunities for stakeholder collaborations.
Speaking during the expo, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) CEO Lilly Ajarova noted that exhibitors from across the region have commended UTB for bringing on board “the right hosted buyers” whose source markets the East African tour operators can tap into.
“We have had major compliments about the hosted buyers we chose for the 8th edition of POATE. Exhibitors from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania are making business with the hosted buyers because they are not selling a particular country but the region. POATE gives exhibitors an opportunity to sell the region,” Ajarova said.
She said that a successful POATE is not just a win for Uganda but the region as a whole, but even more rewarding for countries that are not stand-alone destinations.
“As we continue to position Uganda as a destination, we are also positioning the region because we also feed off what the neighboring countries get. To this point, Uganda is not a stand-alone destination. Some of our visitors come from Kenya or Tanzania either because of an added excursion to track mountain gorillas or adventure activities – some of the attractions that the other countries don’t have,” she added.
Addressing the press during the Expo, Clare Mugabi, Head of Marketing at UTB, said POATE contributes to efforts geared towards making Uganda a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) destination.
She noted that showcasing Uganda’s various tourism offerings creates an interest for buyers in the MICE sector both within the region, the continent and the world over, to add Uganda to their destinations.
“While we are very intentional in our pursuit for leisure tourists, we are also aggressively looking to attract big events. We want to start hosting big events from all over the world so POATE and its various components gives us an opportunity to showcase our diversified culture and attractions to the region and the world,” Mugabi said.
Business to Business Meetings benefits
Day one and two of the Expo were dominated by Business-to-Business meetings between exhibitors and hosted buyers as well as seminar sessions on select topics including Responsible Tourism, Emerging Trends in Tourism, Tourism Business Investment and Sustainability.
For some foreign exhibitors, POATE is an entry point into the wider East African tourism market considering the timelines of the other regional expos. PAOTE precedes the Magical Kenya Travel Expo and the Swahili International Tourism Expo, both scheduled for October.
Solayappan Narayanan of Savvy Hospitality, an India-based hotel management company, says during the three days of POATE, he was able to form business links with East African hotel proprietors and is looking forward to exhibiting in Kenya during the MKTE.
“It’s been a great three days. I am optimistic Savvy Hospitality will be getting news clients soon or at least solid references for future clientele. We will be exhibiting in Kenya at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo later this year or next year so that we widen our reach in East Africa,” Narayanan said.
Speaking to Prime News, Joanitah Nabukeera, the Managing Director Allegro Travels – a tour company in Uganda, said she was able to have fruitful meetings with numerous hosted buyers but her highlight was interacting with the local tour operators.
“My experience with this POATE has been great. I am running a company in an industry I wasn’t well-versed with prior. Speaking with people who are established in the industry has given me a broader perspective on the workings of the sector. I have also got myself a mentor and that is an unparalleled opportunity,” Nabukeera said.
Consumer Day
The third day of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo is always dedicated to tourism product consumers. It is a market day for exhibitors and brands to entice the consumers into their offerings and likewise, for consumers to have first-hand information about the products.
Brands with tangible products like candles, t-shirts, and cultural ornaments had a good direct sales day while service providers closed off with solid business leads.