Uganda is stepping up efforts to attract more German tourists, opening a week of cultural diplomacy in Germany with a tourism roadshow in Düsseldorf ahead of its first-ever cultural festival in Munich.
Officials from the Uganda Embassy in Berlin and the Uganda Tourism Board met German tour operators and travel agents in Düsseldorf on Tuesday, promoting gorilla trekking, wildlife safaris and the country's "Pearl of Africa" branding.
Germany is one of Uganda's top seven source markets for international visitors, according to Uganda's tourism authorities, alongside the United States, the United Kingdom and several East African neighbours. Officials did not give updated figures, but the country's tourism board has previously said European arrivals remain a relatively small but strategically important segment it is trying to grow.
The roadshow is the first of two events. From Thursday, the Ugandan Embassy will run a three-day Uganda Cultural and Tourism Festival in Munich, featuring traditional dance, music, fashion and food, alongside a business and investment forum aimed at Ugandan diaspora entrepreneurs and German firms. Organisers describe it as the largest Ugandan public event held in Germany to date.
Speaking on behalf of Uganda's ambassador to Germany, Stephen Mubiru, embassy second secretary Jessica Namuddu told the Düsseldorf audience that tourism was "a bridge for cultural exchange and people-to-people connectivity" between the two countries.
Tourism board officials, including marketing manager Francis Nyende Hatinda and tourism development commissioner Vivian Lyazzi, held separate meetings with operators to discuss expanding travel packages featuring Uganda.
Representatives of State House Uganda's diaspora unit, led by Mohammed Bagonza, also attended, reflecting growing efforts by Kampala to involve Ugandans living abroad in tourism and trade promotion.
The push follows Uganda's appearance at ITB Berlin in March, the world's largest travel trade fair, and comes ahead of 2027, when Uganda will co-host the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament with Kenya and Tanzania — an event officials hope will raise the country's profile across Europe.
Uganda's tourism sector, which contributed an estimated $1.3bn (£1bn) to the economy in 2023, has been recovering steadily since the pandemic, with arrivals projected to approach two million by 2028, according to industry estimates.
