By Jackline Nabirye,
Officer Communications & Brand Management- ICPAU
Tourism leaders have challenged Ugandans to rethink the country's tourism potential, calling for greater investment, innovation and collaboration to position the sector as a leading driver of Uganda's ambition to grow its economy to US$ 500 billion.
The call was made during a panel discussion on "Harnessing the Tourism Sector as a Key Driver for the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy" at the 14th CPA Economic Forum. Participants were urged to view tourism as a strategic economic asset capable of creating jobs, generating foreign exchange and spurring inclusive growth.
Speaking during the session, Amos Wekesa, Managing Director of Great Lakes Safaris Uganda, said that Uganda has some of the world's richest tourism assets but has neither fully appreciated nor marketed them to the global audience.
"God created Uganda with everything beautiful and right. What remains is for us to appreciate what we have and use it to compete globally," he said.
Wekesa noted that Uganda's diverse cultures, favourable climate, unique wildlife, landscapes and hospitality give it a competitive advantage over many destinations. However, he challenged Ugandans to stop competing amongst themselves and instead focus on positioning Uganda against other tourism destinations.
He stressed that governments create enabling environments, but it is individuals and businesses that build economies through innovation and enterprise. He encouraged entrepreneurs to develop new tourism experiences, invest in marketing and embrace every opportunity to promote Uganda.
"Marketing should never be viewed as an expense but as an investment," he said, urging every Ugandan to become a brand ambassador for the country.
Wekesa also called for continued investment in infrastructure, improved service delivery and skills development to ensure that more Ugandans are equipped to take advantage of employment opportunities in the tourism industry.
Supporting this call, Doreen Silva Katusiime, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, said tourism has been identified as one of the priority sectors under Uganda's Ten-Fold Growth Strategy because of its enormous potential to create jobs, increase foreign exchange earnings and improve household incomes.
She revealed that the government aims to increase tourism earnings from the current US$1.6 billion to US$ 50 billion annually by 2040, requiring sustained annual growth of at least 22 per cent in tourism earnings and international visitor arrivals. The strategy also seeks to increase tourists' daily expenditure to over US$ 200 and extend the average length of stay beyond the current eight days.
Katusiime acknowledged that although tourism remains one of Uganda's leading foreign exchange earners, the sector continues to underperform because Uganda is still not widely recognised as a primary tourism destination. She cited negative perceptions, inadequate infrastructure, limited tourism product diversification, skills gaps and insufficient market intelligence as some of the challenges constraining the industry's growth.
She, however, expressed confidence that Uganda has all the ingredients needed to become one of Africa's leading tourism destinations. From hosting more than half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas and over 1,000 bird species to being home to the source of the River Nile, diverse cultural heritage and numerous adventure tourism attractions, Uganda's tourism offering remains unmatched.
To unlock this potential, the government is implementing interventions aimed at strengthening destination marketing, improving tourism infrastructure, conserving natural and cultural heritage, expanding tourism products, enhancing skills development, strengthening quality assurance and leveraging technology to improve visitor experiences. Partnerships with the private sector, local governments and Uganda's missions abroad will also play a critical role in promoting Destination Uganda globally.
Both speakers challenged participants, particularly accountants and business leaders, to support investment in tourism through sound financial management, strategic planning and enterprise development. They noted that achieving Uganda's US$ 500 billion vision will require collective action from both the public and private sectors to transform the country's abundant tourism resources into sustainable economic opportunities.
The 14th CPA Economic Forum is being held from 15 to 17 July 2026 at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe, and online, bringing together policymakers, business leaders, economists, development partners, accountants, and other professionals.
The Forum is organised by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) in partnership with; National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), PKF Uganda, Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Electoral Commission, Microfinance Support Centre (MSC), Ernst & Young, National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda (IRA), Roofings Uganda Limited, Centenary Bank and Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA).
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