Miss Tourism: How useful are the girls?

Some of the Miss Tourism girls at the Eclipse monument at Igongo Cultural Centre in Mbarara. Courtesy photo

In 2013, the tourism fraternity was in high gear, following the announcement that the Miss Tourism pageant was back on the social calendar.
The pageant was being revived after about a six-year absence.

And just like before, information went round that it was going to be held as an annual event with the aim of promoting Uganda’s tourism by showcasing the country’s beauties (the girls) as the Pearls of Africa.

In addition, the pageant was also aiming at showcasing the history, culture, traditions, as well as increase the public-private sector participation and funding in the tourism sector.

A call was made to all single Ugandan women from different regions of the country aged between 18 to 29 years, with a minimum A-Level education and height of 5ft , six inches, to participate.

Girls picked up forms and went to audition.
Fifteen contestants were unveiled at a colourful ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.

The number of contestants was later cut down to nine, who battled it out for the crown at an evening event held at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.

The then 22-year-old Harriet Barbara Nakitto emerged winner and later represented the country in the Miss Tourism International contest.

In 2014, 27 girls from different regions of the country took part in the pageant. At the end, 20-year-old Patricia Babirye Ntale emerged winner and just like her predecessor, she was charged with representing Uganda at Miss Tourism International.

And the same will be expected of the 2015 Miss Tourism, who was crowned yesterday at Kampala Serena hotel.

Regarding what tourism achievements the winners have managed to register during their respective reigns, Ntale says she managed to organise a tour in Rakai District, her home district.

“I learnt more about the culture, tradition and people in my home area,” she states.

Meanwhile, Nakitto says her main project then involved visiting schools across the country and educating students on tourism.

“It was just a way of informing and reminding them of the existing rich tourism potential we have in this country,” she says, adding: “But that aside , I was constantly jetting out of the country to market what we have back home on the international market.”

As the title winners become engaged in marketing Uganda’s tourism potential both domestically and internationally, one wonders what happens to the rest of the girls, or the finalists.

John Ssempebwa, the deputy chief executive officer of Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), notes that since the girls come from different regions, UTB works hand in hand with them to promote tourism in their areas or solve a particular domestic problem.

Some of the finalists have pulled off amazing projects that not only boost tourism, but also benefit the community.

For instance, the late Barbara Nakiwolo, one of last year’s Miss Tourism finalists, had before her death in July, been involved in a project aimed at promoting domestic tourism in central Buganda.

In February, she led a tour of the breath-taking Ssezibwa Falls in Mukono, before guiding tourists to the Kyagwe Cultural Centre, a historical site consisting part of Buganda’s rich history.

In January, Roberta Jean-Marie Magoba, the Miss Tourism 2014 first runner-up, hosted a successful art exhibition at Sound Cup at Garden City in Kampala, centered on conservation awareness.

Recently, Miss Tourism Ankole 2014-15 winner Jackline Arinda organised a charity run to raise funds to save lives of children in need of surgery.

The campaign was intended to raise Shs3 billion for the installation of a theatre at the hospital. There were a number of children going to the facility with complications requiring surgery but unfortunately, they would get turned away because there were no facilities to look after them.

To successfully pull out these projects, the girls are assisted by sponsors and backed by their own regions.

Other activities
Away from the projects, the girls are also encouraged to take part in trips that UTB organises to different tourism destinations, including game parks, wildlife conservation areas, historical sites, among others for purposes of learning.

Hindu Nakirya, a 2014 Miss Tourism finalist, says shortly after contesting for the pageant, she was employed by Sun Link Travel Agency, where she works now.

“They were probably looking out for someone who had a bit of exposure since I was constantly travelling with the UTB team. I guess that was why the agency hired me,” she says.

For Lillian Ruzindana, another 2014 finalist, the pageant gave her the opportunity to meet people she thought she would never rub shoulders with, including Tourism minister Maria Mutagamba.

On what her greatest tourism experience has been so far, Ruzindana says it was when she and other finalists got to hold and pose with a giant python at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC).
“I never imagined in my entire life I would ever do such a thing,” she says.

For Aisha Nagudi, a Miss Tourism 2013 second runner-up, the trips UTB organised made her discover so many things she did not know about other cultures and tribes.

“Those trips opened up my mind onto so many things about this country right from the way different tribes greet, dress, dance and marry,” she says.

Amos Wekesa, the founder of Great Lakes Safaris, who is also the patron of the Eastern Entrepreneurship and Tourism Network, says the beauty of the franchise is that it helps to creates hype for the tourism fraternity as a whole.

From the different experiences of these girls, one thing is notably clear. The Miss Tourism franchise is not all about pretty faces. But rather, it is about these girls exploring and knowing everything regarding the tourism sector in the country.