Tourism Minister Tom Butiime, together with Ambassador Lizhong, watch Ms Lizhong and other tourists painting. PHOTOs | PROMISE TWINAMUKYE
“When I go back to our country, I will be more than happy to introduce Uganda to my customers and my friends. And I think many Chinese will visit Uganda,” Chloe Wang said after an early morning game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese District.
Ms Wang, a tour operator with Shanghai Spring Travel, was one of the 12 tour operators from China who were treated to a familiarisation trip to western Uganda. The three-day trip took them to Toro Babies Home, they enjoyed a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and hiked the Kyeganywa hill that towers over lakes Saaka, Kigere and Nyabikora.
The trip was the highlight of the inaugural Uganda-China Tourism and Cultural Symposium, held under the theme Bridging Cultures, Enhancing Cooperation: Unlocking Uganda-China Tourism Potential, which brought together government officials, tourism industry stakeholders, and tour operators from Uganda, China, and the East African community.
The symposium, organised by the Ministry of Tourism and the Embassy of China in Uganda was a platform for knowledge sharing, and cultural exchange as well as exploring potential partnerships to boost tourism collaboration between the two countries.
Expected outcomes from the symposium are increased appreciation of Ugandan and Chinese cultures by participants, formation of strategic partnerships between Ugandan and Chinese tourism stakeholders as well as improved understanding of the Chinese market, enabling tailored marketing strategies and product development to attract more Chinese tourists.
According to Ms Wang, Africa has become a popular destination for Chinese tourists. “We will promote Uganda and introduce the country’s natural landscapes, abundant wildlife, and rich cultural heritage, to the customers,” Ms Wang emphasised.
China's booming economy and rapidly growing outbound tourism market present a valuable opportunity for Uganda. In 2023 alone, Chinese households made more than 100 million outbound trips, a figure expected to rise to 128 million in 2024. Additionally, China's domestic tourism sector recorded an impressive 1.5 billion trips, showcasing a well-developed and thriving market.
Last year, Tourism Minister Col Tom Butime said, Uganda received about 9,900 visitors from China, mainly for business, adding that ‘China’s rich cultural heritage and rapidly growing outbound tourism make it a natural partner for us as we strive to develop new tourism products.’
Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, HE Zhang Lizhong termed the experience as ‘wonderful’ both for him and the tour operators.
“Uganda is doing quite well in developing the national park system. China has a lot to learn from Uganda in this regard. The tour operators get the opportunity to interact with their counterparts in Uganda and discuss the possibility of working together in attracting more Chinese tourists to this beautiful country. They understand the opportunities in the tourism sector, including investment and also the potential of tourism in Uganda's economic and social transformation,” he said.
Diverse culture
Ambassador Lizhong praised Uganda’s diversified tribal culture.
“Whenever you go, you always see people dancing, singing songs, and that represents the richness of Uganda's culture. We can integrate these cultural elements into the tourism itinerary so that when Chinese tourists come here, they not only enjoy the natural beauty of Uganda but also enjoy the beauty of your culture during their tour.”
According to the ambassador, Uganda can fully leverage the potential of tourism, and let tourism play a bigger role in Uganda's economic and social transformations.
“In this way, we hope tourism cooperation will play a leading role in China's cooperation with African countries in the tourism sectors. And I hope with more and more people-to-people exchanges, our relationship will become stronger and stronger in the future.
And Africa should be a good choice for them to come and to see the beauty of these continents.
Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, who presented a paper on cultivating a Ugandan model for China-Africa tourism cooperation, emphasised the need for Uganda to enhance efforts in tourism promotion and policy coordination targeting the Chinese market, including organising tourism exhibitions, seminars, and promotional events in China. Dai also suggested that Uganda leverage the “friendly cities” mechanism of cooperation between Ugandan and Chinese cities to bolster tourism promotion.
