Santa Anzo: Fashion will employ thousands with UTB, government support
By Rukia Nabbanja
Uganda has embraced fashion tourism to boost the tourism industry because of its great role in the economy. Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) expressed its interest in the industry and pledged to continuously support the growth and development of fashion.
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The decision was supported by the rich exposure of the African culture through fashion that could be a major attraction to other cultural tourists from different backgrounds.
Santa Anzo receives applause from the crowd
While speaking at the Uganda International Fashion Week hosted at Serena on Sunday, Lilly Ajarova the chief executive officer UTB said it is a major opportunity for the tourism sector of the country.
Ajarova noted, “Quality assurance is what we are working on to make Uganda the number one tourism stopover in Africa and the rest of the world."
Ajarova promised support to the development of the industry from the Uganda Tourism Board and the tourism industry at large.
UTB's Lilly Ajarova
She said, “We want to share the beauty of the African culture through the different things apart from the freshwater bodies, forest, waterfalls, mountains like Rwenzori to the rest of the world."
Ugandans were urged to invest more in the fashion industry to create employment and more investment opportunities for the population and outside investors.
The Uganda International Fashion Week was hosted by Santa Anzo's Arapapa in association with the South African department of arts and culture.
Santa Anzo who is also the executive director of the UIFW, emphasised that fashion just like any other industry is great for the economy.
She explained that, “Fashion, like petroleum and gas, agriculture, tourism communication and transport is a multi-billion dollar industry with untapped economic potential that is waiting to be exploited and the time for Uganda is now.”
The UIFW and its partners UTB believe that the trajectory of the two industries in most likely to change with the embrace of fashion tourism.
The Uganda international fashion week was founded in 2003 by Santa Anzo and has inspired and nurtured the local fashion industry into a vibrant sector recognised by the business sector, academia, tourism sector and government.
