Uganda’s tourism sector ‘needs more marketing’

Francis Mugoga addressing tourism students at the Tourism Institute of East Africa.

Although Uganda, known as The Pearl of Africa, has vast tourism potential, there is need to further market the sector to woo more visitors into the country.

This was revealed by Francis Mugoga, director of Tourism Institute of East Africa, during a function highlighting the potential and prospects of Uganda's tourism sector.

According to Mugoga, Uganda cannot achieve much if the tourism potential is not advertised to the whole world.

He welcomed efforts that are currently showing Uganda's tourism potential on Nat Geo World, one of DStv channels.

"We need to know that this invisible business of tourism is built on awareness which must be channeled to the world. If we sit back and relax, other countries advertising will beat our sector's revenue yet we are so much gifted by nature," he told his audience of tourism students.

Uganda needs to re-organize its strategy to mainly focus on developing the tourism sites by creating new attractions, he added.

"We should all strive at ensuring that that the number of visitors at the airport goes up to make more revenues. This can be made a reality through instituting a good team to develop our local domestic tourist potentials."

 Amos Wekesa, director of Great Lakes Safaris, applauded government for hiring three public relations firms from Germany, US and England.

But he said here is need for government to increase funding to better market Uganda's tourist sites.

Government is currently spending $1.5 bn in marketing its tourism potentials in Europe and America.