ASEAN-Uganda relations to promote country’s tourism
The Deputy High Commissioner of Uganda to Malaysia Mr Moses Kasujja Kalule (2nd R) chats with a group of ASEAN tour operators at Entebbe Airport on November 25. Photo | Paul Adude
What you need to know:
- Uganda's tourism sector has been growing steadily, with 814,508 tourist arrivals recorded in 2022, a 59 per cent increase from 2021.
Uganda is poised to tap into the vast tourism potential of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, thanks to the growing relations between the two.
According to the Deputy High Commissioner of Uganda to Malaysia, Mr Moses Kasujja, "As a country, we want to show them what Uganda has to offer... the ASEAN region is still a virgin area, there are so many tourists, but it has not been tapped very well."
Kasujja made these remarks while receiving 36 tour operators from ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These operators are in Uganda for a familiarization tour and benchmarking on Uganda's tourism destinations.
The Deputy High Commissioner emphasized the importance of having a long-term relationship with these tour operators, saying, "We want them to market Uganda as a tourist destination... we managed to get the top five per country, so that they can come here and see for themselves."
The visit is expected to increase the number of tourists from ASEAN countries to Uganda. Mr Joseph D.A Vu, Deputy General Director of Bao Son Corp Vietnam, expressed his excitement about Uganda's unique tourism spots, saying, "Ugandan tourism spots are very attractive... we expect to learn from here so that we may organize tours to bring tourists from Vietnam and neighboring countries to Uganda."
Ms Masrura Idjal from the Association of Tours and Travel agency Indonesia (ASITA) also expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "Uganda is my first African country after South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco... we do hope that we can work together to bring Uganda to our country."
The Vice President of Thailand Travel Agents Association, Mr Sitthichai Udomkitthanakul, hoped that the visit would improve tourism relations between ASEAN countries and Uganda, saying, "It's our first time here in Uganda... we are really interested in the Gorilla tracking and forest treks."
Uganda's tourism sector has been growing steadily, with 814,508 tourist arrivals recorded in 2022, a 59 per cent increase from 2021. The sector contributed UGX 2.7 trillion (4.7 per cent of GDP) to the national economy in 2022.
With the growing relations between Uganda and ASEAN countries, the sector is expected to continue growing, with more tourists from Asia expected to visit Uganda's unique tourism spots.
