Laura Kagame, the founder of TravelNeza Uganda, still recalls launching her business in January 2017 with nostalgia and pride. PHOTO/EDGAR R BATTE
Laura Kagame, the founder of TravelNeza Uganda still recalls launching her business in January 2017 with nostalgia and pride.
"We penetrated the market so fast because of our niche; leisure holidays," she explains. "It brought me so much joy. I would look at people who go to jobs they do not like, and I truly wonder how they do it."
The company's early success came from focusing exclusively on what Kagame loved most; crafting unforgettable vacation experiences. From beach getaways to safari adventures, TravelNeza specialised in the kind of trips that create lifelong memories. And then Covid-19 hit followed the lockdowns.
"The news hit hard because 99.9 percent of our business was from abroad," Kagame recalls. The timing could not have been worse; two weeks after the closure of the airport, she was supposed to host a fully-paid destination wedding for 200 guests at Kenya's picturesque Diani Beach. "It was a nightmare I wished I could wake up from," she admits.
Crisis as catalyst
Rather than succumb to despair, Kagame used the forced pause to reimagine her business. "I was partly lost in pain over the losses," she confesses, "but I knew we had to adapt."
Her first project? Overhauling TravelNeza's problematic website.
"It takes a lot of time to do a website properly," she observes. "The original was done in a hurry on WordPress, and it was terrible." With typical enthusiasm, she turned the redesign into a team challenge. "I made them compete on who could create the best family and couple holiday packages. It kept everyone motivated when we needed it most."
To sustain her staff during lean months, Kagame made difficult financial choices. "We paid 50 percent salaries for a while," she says. "It was a stretch, but I could not bear losing our team." This investment in human capital would prove prescient as new opportunities emerged.
The domestic tourism revolution
With international borders closed, Kagame spotted an unexpected silver lining. "The airports had closed but buses were still moving," she notes. "We saw low-hanging fruit in domestic tourism." TravelNeza began organising group trips to Uganda's national parks using coasters, tapping into pent-up demand for safe, local adventures.
The response astonished even Kagame. "Our first trip was to Lake Mburo National Park; we filled two lodges," she recalls with excitement.
"I will never forget how beautiful it was and how happy people were to finally get out." For six straight months, every domestic package sold out, from Bwindi's misty forests to Queen Elizabeth's savannas.
This pivot transformed Kagame's perspective on her home country's potential. "Before Covid-19, I never did domestic tourism," she admits. "Now it has become one of our strongest offerings." Corporate clients particularly embraced the new options, booking team-building retreats at various national parks.
Laura Kagame
A family affair
The pandemic also reshaped Kagame's personal life in unexpected ways. When her mother's 60th birthday trip to Greece was cancelled, they opted for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park instead. "She had always wanted to see the mountain gorillas," Kagame explains. Their stay at Lake Mutanda Resort sparked a family passion.
"We fell in love with the place and started referring guests there," she says. This experience planted the seed for what would become a major new venture. Today, Kagame's family runs three lodges; two in Mbarara and Acacia Wilderness Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a $2m investment won through a Uganda Wildlife Authority concession.
Innovation under pressure
The lockdown's constraints unexpectedly became Kagame's most fertile creative period. "All my best products came during Covid-19," she reveals. The Neza Wallet and Neza Club App emerged from necessity, solving payment and membership challenges that the crisis had exposed.
Her eyes sparkle as she describes the mindset: "I was cornered, and I decided to bulldoze my way through everything. Luckily, some lasting things came out of it." This innovative spirit extended to revitalizing existing properties such as Sambiya River Lodge, which TravelNeza helped renovate and rebrand.
Lessons from Bali and beyond
Kagame's personal travels continue to inspire her professional vision. Bali holds special significance: "My goodness, Bali showed me what Fort Portal, Kisoro and Kabale could be," she marvels. The Indonesian island's transformation of rice fields into tourist attractions particularly impressed her. "I sent photos to Rashid of Brovad Sands Lodge saying, 'Look at this,what are we doing with our lake?'"
At home, the Kazinga Channel remains her favourite experience. "Every time I go, I still love it like the first time," she gushes. "Seeing elephants play up close is magical." This childlike wonder fuels her mission to share Uganda's beauty with others.
Advice
Kagame's hard-won wisdom offers a masterclass in resilient entrepreneurship:
Purpose over profit: "Your 'why' must outweigh making money. I am passionate about getting people to explore. I literally take it personally when people have not travelled!"
Empower your team: "I take my team on two international and three domestic trips annually. If we have a group of 15, one of them goes too." She even runs a company book club to foster growth.
Know when to step back: Kagame's decision to transition from CEO was strategic. "I realized I was not the right demographic anymore," she admits. Four months of mentoring ensured smooth leadership transfer.
Passion with boundaries: Her empathy became a double-edged sword. "I would panic about delayed flights with 45 passengers—how many mothers? Children? That level of stress is not sustainable."
Looking ahead
As TravelNeza approaches its eighth anniversary, Kagame reflects on the journey with characteristic verve: "I am a mother, a passionate entrepreneur, and a lover of life. I am grabbing it by all its wings and riding it properly."
The pandemic that threatened to destroy her business instead revealed Kagame's greatest strengths, adaptability, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to her vision. For aspiring entrepreneurs, her story offers powerful proof that with the right mindset, even global crises can become catalysts for extraordinary growth.
From a childhood trip to Masai Mara to navigating Covid-19’s challenges, Laura Kagame's journey embodies tourism's transformative power, not just for travellers, but for those daring enough to make travel their life's work.
