The seventh edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) kicked off on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo, graced by dignitaries from the Ministry of Tourism, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and a pool of key stakeholders in the tourism industry from domestic, regional and international entities.
These made accounts of the industry’s recovery post Covid-19 and expressed optimism about the unbounded opportunities for the growth and development of Uganda’s tourism.
Th Expo has attracted and is still drawing in participants from across Africa and beyond including over 150 exhibitors and 5000 trade visitors who will indulge with the international hosted buyers from key source markets during the four days running from April 26th to 30th, 2023.
Speaking during the opening session of the Expo, Rtd. Col. Hon. Tom Butime, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities who was the chief guest, attributed the industry’s growth largely to the government’s efforts towards fostering security, stability and peace in most parts of the country which in turn enables visitors to feel safe during their stay and also attract investment in the tourism sector from both domestic and foreign players.
The Minister said that the Country’s tourism industry is on a stable recovery post the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that the stakeholders and line duty bearers are, however, not comfortable with the status quo and as such, are laying more strategies to stimulate the growth even further.
“The current statistics from the Uganda Tourism Satellite Account 2023 indicate that the tourism sector has registered 19.3% arrivals in Uganda for holidays, leisure and recreation, 40.9% for business tourism, 28.2% for visiting friends and relatives, and 11.6% for other reasons. Despite the soaring interest in visitation of Uganda post pandemic, the country can still do more and attract visitors,” Hon. Butime said.
To this end, he noted that a number of initiatives to drum up visibility for destination Uganda have been put in place, the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo being one such a vehicle that creates awareness with the intention of multiplying the number of visitors that come to Uganda.
The tourism industry remains one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy in Uganda, having previously contributed over 1.6 Billion dollars and accounted for 7.7% of the National GDP.
The Minister said the stakeholders are hopeful that as the economy fully recovers, the tourism numbers will more than double. This, he noted, demands preparation if the boost in numbers is to be maintained and the standard of service uncompromised.
“In preparation to cater for this growth, I urge both government and the private sector players including the hoteliers and guides to register and get licensed for the benefit of keeping international standards. Uganda Tourism Board should continue enforcing regulations and standards in the sector to ensure compliance of the set standards. This will enable destination Uganda to not only adhere to the global standards but also keep the visitors safe and satisfied with the tourism offerings while in the country,” he added.
Sustainable Tourism
Speaking at the event, UTB CEO Lilly Ajarova said that the POATE has over the years become not only Uganda’s and East Africa’s tourism signature event but also a global networking link for exhibitors, buyers, investors and suppliers of services in the tourism sector.
She noted that with the growth and expansion of the expo comes challenges but the ideals and purpose of the initiative continue to yield more benefits for the industry while positioning Uganda and East Africa as a whole, as a tourist destination in the global market.
To have harmonized operations within the industry, Ajarova said the element of sustainability and responsible tourism must be prioritized.
“I want to introduce to all of us a new direction that we should all be taking in Uganda and in the East African region; this is sustainability and responsible tourism as the next emerging trend for tourism development more specifically in Uganda. This is not a new idea, however, it is to draw our attention to the tourism practice and management that minimizes the negative socioeconomic and environmental impacts of tourism but also generates greater economic benefits for the people and the host communities,” Ajarova said.
Sustainable tourism has been defined by the UN World Tourism Organisation as Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and the host communities.
“For a sector that contributed over 1.5 million jobs in 2019 and accounts for 2 in every 10 jobs, over 60% employment of women, the way of doing things could be much more streamlined to sustainable tourism. Over the next months, UTB under the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism and key sector players will align to the practices that enshrine the facets of sustainable tourism in service delivery, product development, tourism investment and promotion,” she added.
This will be done through promotion of the use of recyclable materials, reduction of waste as well as promoting conservation of environment while respecting the host communities.
In her remarks, Elsie Attafuah, the United Nations Development Program’s resident representative emphasized the potential for tourism to tackle poverty, generate employment, drive conservation, create a more inclusive and resilient economy, and accelerate Uganda’s social economic transformation.
She noted that countries across the continent can tap into tourism to foster future developments and form lasting partnerships that will in turn create jobs for the youths as well as feed into community-driven initiatives for holistic development.
POATE MICE Activities
Numerous Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Events (MICE) activities are lined up for the next days of the Expo.
These include Business 2 Business Meetings, Seminars, Exhibitions and Familiarization Trips.
While some hosted buyers have done the pre-event familiarization tours, others will be accommodated in the post event arrangement in which they will explore what Uganda has to offer in the tourism sphere.
The programme is designed to help inspire and re-energize; to give perspectives via the lens of industry players and so deepen connections during the networking conduits.
Other key presentations will be made to the key professional Associations, Academia, CSOs and MDAs in the key priority areas on the theory and practice of MICE as channels to business leads sourcing.