By Rising Nation Correspondent
Uganda’s ambition to transform into a USD 500 billion economy within the next fifteen years hinges on a multidimensional growth framework; the ATMS pillars, encompassing Agriculture, Tourism, Manufacturing, and Services. Among these, Tourism stands as both an economic and cultural bridge, blending conservation with commerce, identity with innovation, and heritage with modern hospitality.
In the second quarter release of FY 2026/27, government earmarked UGX 53.65 billion specifically for branding, marketing, and hospitality standards, underscoring the strategic priority attached to tourism as a high-yield sector within the Tenfold Growth agenda. This allocation supplements the UGX 430 billion directly invested in tourism development during FY 2025/26, alongside UGX 2.2 trillion worth of indirect infrastructure investments in roads, ICT connectivity, AFCON preparation, and security around key tourism corridors.
Tourism as a Pillar of Economic Expansion: Tourism’s rising trajectory has become a quiet revolution within Uganda’s fiscal narrative. As reported in the 2025/26 national budget, the sector recorded earnings of USD 1.52 billion in the twelve months to March 2025, a 13.1% growth over the previous year attributable to sustained peace, marketing competitiveness, and strategic infrastructural development , including the resurgence of Uganda Airlines.
Equally remarkable, tourist arrivals climbed to 1.37 million visitors in 2024, up from 1.27 million in 2023, representing a 7.7% annual increase. Domestic tourism surged by 15.7%, reaching 244,843 park visitors, fueled by targeted promotional campaigns under the Explore Uganda – The Pearl of Africa brand, particularly in high-value markets such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, where interest in Uganda rose by 5%, 19%, and 33% respectively.
These metrics position Uganda as one of Africa’s most promising frontier destinations, buoyed by natural diversity, stable governance, and deliberate brand diplomacy.
The UPPA Local Tourism Initiative: Domestic Engagement as a Development Strategy: In a complementary gesture that aligns seamlessly with the government’s Tenfold Growth blueprint, the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) has launched a three-day tour of Western Uganda, led by its President Samuel Ibanda Mugabi, to promote domestic tourism and strengthen public engagement with Uganda’s natural endowments.
The initiative, supported by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), features excursions to iconic sites such as Queen Elizabeth National Park, an ecosystem celebrated for its biodiversity and as a symbol of Uganda’s ecological wealth. The tour is not mere recreation; it is a strategic narrative intervention, a media-driven effort to amplify public appreciation of local destinations, foster national pride, and encourage Ugandans to participate in sustaining the industry that employs over 700,000 people directly and indirectly.
Reframing Domestic Tourism as Economic Literacy: The UPPA initiative highlights a critical shift: tourism is no longer just an export-oriented sector but a community-centric wealth multiplier. Each domestic tourist represents not only leisure spending but also a reinforcement of value chains, from transport and craft industries to local accommodation, cuisine, and cultural exhibitions.
To solidify this model, Uganda could adopt a three-pronged local tourism framework inspired by successful emerging economies:
Community Revenue Reinvestment Schemes (CRRS): Similar to Kenya’s community conservancy model, where a percentage of park revenues are directly reinvested in local projects; schools, health centers, and sanitation facilities creating shared prosperity and reducing conservation conflicts.
Youth Tourism Enterprise Grants: Introduce revolving funds for rural youth to develop niche experiences like birding tours, culinary trails, cultural homestays that diversify Uganda’s tourism product beyond wildlife safaris.
Digital Heritage Mapping: Utilize geospatial and multimedia platforms to map, narrate, and digitally market Uganda’s underexplored attractions, linking tourism to ICT innovation and the creative economy, key drivers in the Tenfold Growth Strategy.
The Expanding Infrastructure of Experience: Uganda’s tourism development is being systematically re-engineered to elevate visitor experience and global competitiveness. Infrastructure upgrades have been extensive; 1,300 kilometers of trail tracks maintained, 177 kilometers of electric fencing installed in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls Parks, and 3,521 meters of ladders and boardwalks constructed on the Rwenzori Mountains.
Cultural tourism has also gained renewed attention, with ongoing upgrades at the Uganda Museum, Namugongo Martyrs Shrines, and near-completion of the Karamoja Museum. The commissioning of the Kikorongo Equator Monument in Kasese and the Source of the Nile pier mark Uganda’s evolution from a nature-centric to an experience-driven destination.
The investment in a world-class convention facility at Munyonyo has further positioned Uganda among the top seven MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destinations in Africa, an achievement that blends soft power diplomacy with economic diversification.
Tourism as the Face of Uganda’s Global Identity: Tourism, within the Tenfold Growth architecture, is not merely a pillar of economic expansion but the face of Uganda’s global identity. It encapsulates the country’s culture, environmental stewardship, and innovative potential, elements essential for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), which stood at USD 1.4 billion by March 2025.
However, sustainability remains central. To ensure continuity of growth, Uganda must strengthen hospitality standards enforcement, invest in sanitation infrastructure along highways, and expand specialized health tourism facilities, as outlined in the FY 2025/26 policy focus.
Domestic Tourism as the Pulse of a Rising Nation: The UPPA’s Western Uganda tour is more than symbolic; it represents the localization of Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Vision. By mobilizing journalists as storytellers and ambassadors of domestic tourism, the initiative translates national strategy into civic participation.
In a country where natural beauty meets entrepreneurial promise, tourism is not only a pillar of economic transformation but a mirror of national consciousness, a reminder that sustainable prosperity begins when citizens explore, appreciate, and invest in their own heritage.
As Uganda positions itself for a USD 500 billion economy, the road to that future may well begin on the scenic plains of Queen Elizabeth, in the whispers of the Rwenzori peaks, and through every local journey that redefines what it means to Explore Uganda the Pearl of Africa.
