Uganda’s tourism sector is on a strong rebound and major events such as the 2025 CHAN Games and the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) have played an influential role in driving this momentum, Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Tom Butime has said.
Speaking at the opening of the third joint tourism sector top management retreat at Crane Hotel in Jinja City, Butime highlighted the significant strides the sector has made, noting that industry performance has surpassed pre-pandemic levels with about 1.64 million tourist arrivals registered in 2025.
He said this milestone signals renewed confidence in Destination Uganda, which he said, would not have been possible without strong partnerships between government and the private sector, as well as effective event-based promotion.
“Promotional campaigns were highly successful, with POATE 2025 standing out as a resounding success, and we look forward to an even bigger and more impactful edition this year,” the minister said, underlining the role of the expo in showcasing Uganda’s unique tourism offerings to international buyers, media and investors,” he said.
He also hailed the role played by CHAN games played in August 2025, emphasising how the continental football tournament helped strengthen sports tourism and livened up Uganda’s global profile as well as the Rwenzori Marathon.
“The Rwenzori Marathon further highlighted the growing potential of sports tourism, and so was the CHAN Games held in August 2025,” he said.
According to the minister, these events came amid a series of confidence-boosting developments for tourism, including the lifting of the United Kingdom’s travel advisory for Queen Elizabeth and Semuliki National Parks, a move credited with reinforcing Western Uganda’s tourism circuit and restoring important source market confidence after earlier restrictions.
On the broader performance front, Butime pointed to strategic policy reforms as pivotal to the sector’s resurgence.
“On the cultural front, we celebrated important milestones, including 30 years of the Omukama of Tooro’s progressive reign and the coronation anniversaries of the Kabaka of Buganda and Kyabazinga of Busoga, reinforcing the central role of culture and heritage in our tourism value proposition.”
According to the minister, investor confidence is also being reflected on the ground, with notable developments such as the Speke Convention Centre, Marriott Hotel in Nsambya, Hilton Hotel in Nakasero and the Gorilla Forest Lodge in Bwindi reshaping Uganda’s accommodation and conferencing landscape.
While acknowledging persistent challenges — including poor road conditions on key tourism corridors and recent negative publicity around national carrier Uganda Airlines — Butime affirmed that sustained policy focus and collaborative action with the private sector will help address these constraints and unlock greater value.
Uganda’s tourism sector — identified as one of the priority growth sectors under the National Development Plan IV and Ten-Fold Growth Strategy — is targeting revenues of up to USD 50 billion and deeper integration into the country’s broader economic vision by 2040.
