Food: An untapped tourism potential

As a tourist destination, Uganda is a Godsend – with attractions that travellers dream of: heavenly nature, adventure opportunities, friendly weather, gorgeous beaches, awesome landscapes, fascinating history, great culture and the most hospitable folks around.
Yet for all its advantages in the region, Uganda still lags behind her less endowed neighbours.
It is an unusual fact that being very much gifted by nature has played against the Pearl of Africa as many times, Uganda has turned out to be a jack of all trades but a master of none.

The “big game” is the selling point for Kenya and Tanzania while Rwanda has fronted the genocide and the mountain gorillas but you ask about Uganda and a local tourism official will blather about pretty much everything.
Tourism officials have over the years been trying to improve the tourist numbers by pushing different slogans both locally and internationally. Although you cannot fault their effort, most of these projects, because of a lack of fraternisation and focus, have turned out to be more optimistic than successful.

Our tourism marketing strategy/plan – if any – is all over the place. And because there is a lack of focus we have consequently dropped the main factors that form a desired tourist destination.
One of the main implicit factors that tourists consider in choosing the destination is food but this area has been largely neglected in most of Uganda’s tourism promotions. Uganda’s food has been consistently recommended by travellers and tourism critics and yet we still look at it as just “fuel for the body.”
Food tourism has shaped gastro destinations such as France, Italy, Mexico and California. Although food tourism often refers to gastronomy destinations or well-known restaurants – which Uganda isn’t – some countries have succeeded in promoting their local cuisines.

A new global tourism report from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) indicates that tourists are attracted to local produce and many destinations are centering their product development and marketing accordingly.
“With food so deeply connected to its origin, this focus allows destinations to market themselves as truly unique and appealing to those travellers who look to feel part of their destination through its flavours,” states the document released early this year.

According to Travel Channel (DStv 179), tourism is a way to move away from monotony of daily habits and one of the experiences of such a change is food.
“Restaurants often act as frontline ambassadors in promoting a country and educating foreigners about its culture hence the saying that the ‘easiest way to a man’s heart is his stomach’,” said Travel Channel’s Jonathan Phang. “And the term man is general here because food lifts a destination from just a place to see to a place to be.”

Today’s tourist is a discerning traveller who is more cultured than visitors of 20 years ago and he/she wants to experience the local culture on holiday.
The minister for Tourism, Dr Maria Mutagamba, recognises that fact, saying food is a significant aspect of the tourist’s experience of a destination, driven by the growing trends of authenticity and the need to have an all-inclusive experience.
“Our food is very good and every visitor who tastes it recommends it as fresher, tastier and more nutritious than anywhere else they have been,” Dr Mutagamba said.
“We’re devising new ways of putting our food on the forefront but quality really matters and this is our challenge now. We have made a few steps towards achieving that goal with the imminent equipping of the hospitality school in Jinja. We need professional good people to handle our good food department,” he added.
An international conference on cuisine and tourism held recently in Cyprus acknowledged that the local meals play a leading role in impressing tourists.

Countries such as Singapore and China even have open evening eating markets where tourists and the locals mix and mingle over a variety of meals on the streets.
“Food is all about creativity,” says Abbas Said Omar, the executive chef at Chobe Safari Lodge Omar. “We just need to enhance our cuisines to an acceptable level.” For instance, a rolex (chapatti and omelette) is an essential part of Uganda’s cuisine today and most tourists, who have tasted it, have declared it a delicacy. Whether it is from a roadside vendor or served on an expensive cutlery in an uptown restaurant, no tourist should leave Uganda without sampling that egg roll.

“Imagine if we prepared some rolexes during some of these exhibitions abroad with a tagline ‘get a rolex at half a dollar’,” says Omar. “Can you imagine just how captivating that could be and how surprised those people will be to find out that in Uganda we don’t wear rolex, we eat it?”
A proper way of bringing all local cuisines closer to the local tourists can be done through well-coordinated food festivals to allow people bring forward the best their areas can offer. Ugandans can also participating in international food festivals as a way of promoting our food.

The DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival in South Africa is one of the biggest food festival for music and food lovers. Currently a few festivals such as Mavuno Yeto and Tokosa food festivals have been held to showcase our rich culinary. The gift of good soil and tasty food along with ethnical diversity and consequently food variation may be an appropriate base for our tourism.

Some Ugandan delicacies
General delicacies
• Nsenene - These crunchy insects are a seasonal delicacy found mostly in the central region although are consumed all over Uganda.
• Rolex - This roll of eggs and chapatti is quite popular as a quick snack
• Posho - Consumed across the country
• Millet bread- It is consumed in most parts of Uganda

Central region
• Matooke - Mashed bananas
• Luwombo - Food steamed in banana leaves
• Groundnut stew- Raw groundnut sauce
Eastern region
• Malewa - This bamboo shoot delicacy is from Bugishu
• Pasted chicken or beef or vegetables
• Several varieties of fish

Western region
• Eshabwe
• Sweet potatoes - A stable in Kigezi sub-region but also consumed in different parts, especially the north
• Firinda - mashed beans

Northern region
• Simsim paste (Odi) - Popular in the north and eastern parts and is used in preparation of different traditional cuisine.
• Pasted vegetables (Boo, Malakwang)
• Pasted chicken and beef
• Pigeon peas (Lapena).

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