Uganda courts high-value tourists ahead of Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo 2026
Uganda is stepping up its push for high-value international visitors ahead of the 2026 Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE), combining diplomatic outreach with targeted familiarisation trips to convert market interest into confirmed bookings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working alongside the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), has recently hosted delegations of tour operators, travel professionals, and media teams from Turkey, Egypt, China, and Canada on in-country visits designed to give buyers firsthand experience of Uganda's wildlife, cultural, and adventure offerings. The strategy follows a record-breaking 2025, in which Uganda earned $1.7 billion in tourism revenue, up from $1.28 billion the previous year, with international arrivals rising from 1.3 million to 1.65 million visitors.
The shift in focus from volume to value reflects a broader ambition to attract travellers who stay longer and spend more. Canada has emerged as a standout growth market, with interest up 19% year on year. UTB Chief Executive Juliana Kagwa said the approach is deliberate: "By the time our partners arrive, they already understand the destination, which allows us to move faster from conversations to actual business." With POATE 2026 approaching, Uganda is positioning the expo as a platform for converting those relationships into tangible deals, backed by a national marketing strategy that uses the country's foreign missions as active tourism promotion channels.
Source: Pulse Uganda
