Uganda Tourism Sector To Thrive With Strategic Reforms And Infrastructure Investment

Thursday, July 31, 2025

In a landmark engagement astatine nan State House successful Entebbe, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni held a high-level gathering pinch nan activity of nan Uganda Tourism Association (UTA), marking a important turning constituent for nan country’s tourism sector. The delegation was led by UTA President Mrs. Yogi Biriggwa, accompanied by Vice President Mr. Isa Kato, Secretary General Mr. Peter Mwanja, and Technical Advisor Professor Edwin Sabuhoro, among different cardinal members. Also coming were Hon. Martin Mugarra, State Minister for Tourism, and Ms. Priscilla Butagira, Presidential Assistant connected Tourism, demonstrating nan government’s committedness to revitalizing nan industry’s growth.

The gathering prioritized connected applicable steps aimed astatine unlocking nan afloat imaginable of Uganda’s tourism sector, which has nan capacity to bring successful a cardinal economical transformation. Tourism is recognized arsenic a powerful export and overseas speech earner, and President Museveni emphasized that it should beryllium treated pinch nan value it deserves arsenic a captious assemblage for nationalist development.

Tackling Taxation Issues successful nan Tourism Sector

One of nan main highlights of nan gathering was nan dense taxation load faced by Uganda’s hospitality sector. Hotels and tourism-related businesses are presently taxable to up to 26 different taxes and licenses, which person raised concerns astir nan sector’s sustainability and maturation imaginable successful nan agelong run. The President acknowledged these concerns, peculiarly successful narration to nan taxation connected tourism businesses, and committed to harmonizing nan taxation system.

Museveni expressed his belief that tourism, arsenic an export, should not beryllium taxed successful nan aforesaid mode arsenic home services. He noted that nan government’s argumentation is clear: exports should stay untaxed to promote maturation and overseas speech inflows. He pledged to activity pinch applicable authorities agencies to reappraisal and rationalize nan taxation regime, ensuring that it creates a conducive situation for finance and semipermanent maturation successful nan sector. This promise was seen arsenic a cardinal measurement towards attracting much backstage assemblage finance into nan tourism industry.

Infrastructure Development to Enhance Accessibility

Another important rumor raised successful nan gathering was nan request for improved infrastructure to facilitate entree to Uganda’s cardinal tourer destinations. Recognizing that nan country’s earthy attractions, specified arsenic nan Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Kidepo Valley National Park, are captious for attracting world tourists, nan President directed that infrastructure gaps successful these areas beryllium addressed. This includes improving roadworthy entree to cardinal tourer zones.

The government’s committedness to addressing these infrastructure gaps will beryllium supported by dedicated yearly allocations, ensuring that nan roadworthy web to Uganda’s apical tourism spots is consistently improved. This inaugural is expected to heighten tourism accessibility and lend to nan wide maturation of nan assemblage by making it easier for some home and world visitors to entree nan country’s world-renowned attractions.

Financial Support for Tourism Enterprises

The President besides addressed nan financial challenges faced by nan tourism sector, noting that galore tourism enterprises struggle to entree financing tailored to their circumstantial needs. He underscored nan structural mismatch betwixt nan financial needs of tourism businesses, which require long-term, service-based investment, and nan consequence models presently utilized by commercialized banks.

To reside this issue, President Museveni pledged to instrumentality argumentation reforms astatine Uganda Development Bank (UDB) to create financial products that are amended aligned pinch nan needs of nan tourism industry. The purpose is to supply tourism enterprises pinch affordable and accessible financing that takes into relationship nan semipermanent returns connected finance that nan assemblage offers. This is expected to thief tourism businesses grow their operations, upgrade facilities, and heighten their offerings to some section and world visitors.

Institutional Support for nan Uganda Tourism Association

As portion of his committedness to strengthening nan tourism sector, President Museveni endorsed UTA’s petition for dedicated financial support. This yearly backing will let UTA to further create its Secretariat and heighten its capacity to coordinate nan backstage sector, advocator for tourism development, and facilitate public-private dialogue.

With this organization support, UTA will beryllium amended positioned to thrust nan implementation of cardinal tourism policies and initiatives. The President besides pledged to rumor executive directives addressing nan priorities outlined by UTA successful their Policy & Action Plan document, covering areas specified arsenic argumentation reform, infrastructure development, and organization support.

Vision for a Sustainable and Competitive Tourism Sector

In closing, UTA reiterated its unwavering committedness to moving intimately pinch nan government, improvement partners, and section communities to position Uganda arsenic Africa’s starring tourism destination. The relation intends to beforehand a sustainable and inclusive tourism assemblage that benefits each stakeholders, from section communities to nationalist stakeholders. With nan government’s support and nan ongoing reforms, Uganda is aiming to execute USD 4 cardinal successful tourism net by 2030.

President Museveni’s committedness to tourism betterment represents a captious measurement successful creating a much competitive, sustainable, and globally recognized tourism sector. This collaboration betwixt nan nationalist and backstage sectors is seen arsenic basal for ensuring that Uganda afloat realizes nan economical imaginable of its immense earthy and taste resources.

With plans for taxation reform, infrastructure investment, and accrued financial support, Uganda is positioning itself arsenic a cardinal subordinate successful nan world tourism market, and nan ongoing business betwixt nan authorities and nan Uganda Tourism Association is expected to lead to semipermanent occurrence for nan industry.