The 9th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) will officially commence on May 21, 2025 at the Speak Resort and Convention Centre in Muniyono.
Running until May 24th, this year's edition brings thematic tourism and sustainable transformation, aiming to promote collaboration with tourism stakeholders, international buyers, investors and the media, while exploring the vast tourism potential of Uganda.
Uganda's tourism sector has made significant progress, but has yet to fully recover to its pre-2019 levels. In 2023, the country recorded 1,274,210 international arrivals, up 56.4% from 814,508 in 2022, below 1,542 million visitors in 2019 and 1,542 million visitors in 2018, but recorded a strong recovery from the low pandemic.
Prior to the expo, Doreen Katusiim, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, emphasized the importance of ports as a platform to introduce the world to Uganda's unique and diverse attractions.
“This exposition will increase Uganda's visibility on the international tourism map,” she said.
Uganda's appeal remains firmly rooted in nature-based tourism. The country has 12 national parks, 3 game reserves, 12 wildlife sanctuaries, 10 wildlife sanctuaries, and 5 community wildlife management areas.
Over 18% of Uganda's surface area is covered with five lakes, rivers and wetlands in East Africa's Great Lakes. It is located at the border, Victoria, Kyoga, Albert, George, Edward. Uganda also boasts the world's largest mountain gorilla population, with around 459 people (53% of the total world). Kibale Forest National Park alone is home to over 1,000 of Uganda's 5,000 chimpanzees.
To do this, add an array of monkeys, baboons, baby bushes and pothos in an untouched environment. For bird lovers, Uganda is a paradise. With over 1,083 recorded species, the country hosts almost 50% of African bird species and 10% of the world.
Notable birdwatching sites include Bwindi's mysterious forest national park, which was named Africa's number one birdwatching site by the African Bird Club in 2012, and the Queen of Elizabeth National Park, which has over 605 bird species.
The UN report ranks Uganda as the happiest country in East Africa, but a BBC survey named it the world's friendly country for expatriates. However, critics argue that natural beauty isn't enough as the country is still lagging behind strategic marketing and infrastructure investments in regions where regional competitors Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania are making significant progress.
This concern is reflected in the national budgets where tourism is once again being re-evaluated among the least funded sectors. In the recently approved SHS $72.4 trillion national budget on 2025/26, only Sh 42.76 billion was allocated to tourism. Inland travel was less than half of Shs 976.9 billion, Shs 63.22 billion for consulting services and less than half of Shs 49.29 billion for food and breeding.
Still, there were bright spots. Katusiime highlighted a $75,000 investment in the Ministry's marketing on Expedia.
“Do you need a return on investment?” she asked.
Last year Poate was a huge success, attracting 230 exhibitors, 423 trade visitors, 505 seminar participants and over 3,050 consumers. Vivian Raiazzi, representative committee member of the Tourism Development Division, said Port 2025 will be held at the Regional Tourism Conference to highlight the importance of tourism in Africa.
The conference will focus on tackling key issues such as regional marketing, e-marketing strategies, visa policies and investment opportunities, and promoting East Africa as a single destination.
Lyazzi also has an increasing importance of tourism in Mouse (meetings, incentives, meetings, exhibitions) and is in line with the global tourism trends that emphasize business-related travel.
According to Tourism Satellite Account Report 2023, the biggest reasons to visit Uganda are business trips and visits to friends and relatives (VFRs). In 2019, 40.9% of visitors came for business, while 28.9% visited friends and family.
By 2022, VFR had taken the lead at 38.2% and business visits at 36.5%. Interestingly, holidays and leisure are still the least reason why tourists visit Uganda.
