Day Two of the 6th Uganda Economic Forum placed the nation’s tourism sector squarely under the microscope, with both public and private sector leaders agreeing on its critical role in achieving Uganda’s ambitious tenfold economic growth strategy.
The dialogue highlighted the sector's immense potential but was dominated by a unified call from the private sector for urgent reforms in taxation, financing, and marketing.
The forum is dissecting the government's ATMS (Agro-industrialization, Tourism, Mineral Development, and Science, Technology, and Innovation) strategy, the blueprint for expanding Uganda’s economy to $500 billion by 2040.
Setting a data-driven tone for the day, the National Planning Authority singled out tourism as an exceptionally high-impact sector.
It was revealed that under the current National Development Plan (NDP IV), tourism generates a remarkable 24% return per unit cost, providing strong evidence of its powerful multiplier effect across the economy.
Building on this, the Ministry of Tourism expressed confidence that the growth targets are attainable.
Vivian Lyazi, the Commissioner for Tourism Development, was part of a panel that discussed how the sector, which currently generates UGX 316 billion directly and an estimated UGX 1.89 trillion indirectly, can be scaled.
However, private sector players, led by Jean Byamugisha, CEO of the Uganda Hotel Owners’ Association, argued that this potential is being throttled by significant challenges.
She stressed that to unlock new growth, there must be a review of the current tax regime to provide targeted incentives, a push for innovative financing models to attract private capital, and a far more aggressive international marketing strategy to position Uganda competitively on the global map.
Moses Kaggwa, Director of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, was on hand to listen to these concerns.
Expanding the conversation beyond traditional wildlife tourism, UNESCO urged the government to conserve and upgrade more of Uganda’s heritage sites.
Increased recognition on the World Heritage List, it was argued, could boost international visibility and attract high-value, niche tourists.
This point was supported by Jackline Nyirachiza Besigye, the Commissioner for Museums and Monuments, who emphasized the untapped value of Uganda's cultural assets.
These critical conversations, aimed at aligning public policy with private sector needs, are happening live on NBS TV as part of the Uganda Economic Forum, which continues daily from 2-5 PM until October 3rd.
