KAMPALA: Internal Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire has called for increased funding of the Tourism sector as a way of attracting tourists to the country and marketing Uganda as a top tourism destination.
Otafiire was speaking as chief guest during the Tourism Review conference held at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Wednesday.
Organized under the theme; Leveraging the Tourism Industry as a Pivot for Economic Recovery through Sustainable Investment, improved market access and visibility, this year’s Tourism review conference is the first of its kind since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is good legislators are here. Continue making noise to make the sector pregnant with money so that it can produce more money,” Otafiire said.
He also cited indiscipline as one of the challenges facing the sector, saying tourists need a calm environment that can enable them forget the problems at home
Otafiire also called for the development of Tourism consulates in the different country to help inform the world of Uganda’s presence.
“Let us spend money to develop Tourism consulates. Who knows a country called Equador? How about Uruguay? Like we do not know about those countries, they also know nothing about us. So lets spend on advertising our country,” he said.
In a related development, Tourism minister Col (Rtd) Tom Butime said the ministry is committed to improving Tourism products in the country.
He said the sector was badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic but has since recorded a 59% recovery.
“We thank the MPs and all other stakeholders who have been there to support the industry. The way forward is clearer than never before,” minister Butiime said.
The Tourism Programme Review Conference is an annual conference aimed at assessing the performance of the Tourism sector. It is part of a series of activities organized by the Ministry of Tourism to mark the World Tourism Day that falls on September 27th. This year’s event will be marked in Hoima city.
