HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I One day to the commemoration of the International Tourism Day, the sector has remained a cornerstone of Uganda’s economy and continues to be on a positive trend, away from the pandemic crisis which saw earnings fall to historic lows.
The tourism industry exhibited significant recovery in 2023 at 82% when compared to the pre-pandemic levels of the year 2019, which was close to the global trends where international tourism rebounded to 88%.
Findings have revealed that in the year 2023, tourism contributed 5.5% to Uganda’s GDP and directly supported 610,806 jobs, representing 5.7% of the country’s total employment.
“The tourism foreign exchange earnings increased by 48%, from sh2.5b in 2022 to sh3,818b, contributing 11% of total exports and 50% of service exports,” reads part of the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Annual Performance Report for Financial Year 2023/24.
It further says that in the same year [2023], the international tourist arrivals grew by 56%, reaching 1,274,210 visitors compared to 814,508 in 2022.
“This represents an 82% recovery against the pre-pandemic tourist arrivals in 2019,” further reads the report.
The turn in fortunes saw visits to key tourist attractions such as National Parks, UWEC and Uganda Museum reach 1.33 million, surpassing the 2019 levels by 25%. Tourist expenditure also grew by 48.5%, with the accommodation and food and beverage sectors dominating.
Visitation to National Parks and other key tourist sites reached 1,328,916 visitors in 2023, a 25% increase over 2019 figures.
The tourism ministry further reported that Uganda recorded 1.27 million tourists, a 56.4% increase from 2022, contributing 3.2% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s tourist arrivals.
“The East African Community (EAC) saw a strong recovery and Uganda accounted for 16.7% of the region’s total arrivals of 8.85 million. The key source markets included India, the USA and Kenya, with the majority
of visitors coming for business, visiting friends and relatives as well as leisure,” it says.
This upward trend saw tourism contribute $2.8b (5.5%) to Uganda’s GDP, while hotel occupancy rates also rose, particularly in the Western and Eastern regions, driven by an increase in domestic tourism and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events/Exhibitions (MICE) activities.
The report further says that despite these gains, tourism’s contribution to GDP remained slightly below 2019 levels, highlighting the sector’s ongoing recovery efforts.
AGENCIES BAG SH260B
Tourism promoting Government agencies such as the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC), Uganda Hotel Training and Teaching Institute (UHTTI) and the Uganda Wildlife Training Institute (UWTI) bagged a total of sh260b in FY 2023/24.
If this trend continues, says the tourism ministry, the funding gaps will be eliminated.
“In FY 2023/24, a total of sh260b was approved, against which sh258b was released. Infrastructure, product development, and conservation received the largest share of the funding, essential for managing.”
Tourists on Lake Victoria in Jinja
