Members of Parliament have tasked the government with mooting a proposal that will enable Uganda to partner with the Premier League to advertise massively attractive tourism destinations in the country. 

During the Thursday, April 11, 2024, plenary session chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, the lawmakers tasked the State Minister of Tourism, Bahinduka Mugarra Martin, to consider immediate strategies to escalate a campaign that will expose Uganda’s tourism potentials to the globe.

Kabweri County MP David Mugole urged the government, through the Uganda Tourism Board, to engage English Premier League clubs, especially Manchester United, to advertise Uganda in their stadiums and on football jerseys.

He says this will immediately expose Uganda’s tourism potential to the world and attract more revenues from tourists.

Kasambya County MP, Daudi Kabanda, said there is a need for the government to invest more in tourism.

“Let us put more money in this sector because tourism alone can sustain the economy of this country,” said MP Kabanda.

MP Dickson Kateshumbwa (Sheema Municipality) emphasized that the tourism sector has the potential to boost Uganda’s economy.

“Tourism has the potential to solve the problem of money we are talking about, but we don’t have content to distribute across the globe to market the country. Why don’t we have reliable internet, water, and electricity in national parks?” MP Kateshumbwa noted.

Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker, noted that tourism is the engine of Uganda and should be given critical attention.

“We need to look at this better in the future. It is better than the oil we are fronting. Small countries are doing well because they are attracting and investing in tourism,” Tayebwa said.

In his response, the State Minister for Tourism, Mugarra, decried the meager resources often allocated to the sector, saying they’re not enough to fund the global campaign.

“With the Shs10 billion allocated to the sector, there is no way the country can market its tourism potential like other countries,” said the Minister in his submission to the House.

According to statistics obtained from the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), the tourism sector is steadily growing; tourist numbers are estimated to have reached 1.5 million per year, contributing 7.7% to GDP as of March 2024.

Uganda is ranked as a top tourist destination and one of only three countries with about 50% of the world’s known population of endangered mountain gorillas. Lonely Planet 2012 and CNN 2016 ranked Uganda among the top 16 holiday destinations in the world.

Game viewing is the most popular tourist activity in the country’s national parks. This is because the country has a variety of game, including the rare tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, white rhinoceros, and elephants, and it is home to 11% of the world’s bird species (a total of 1,060 bird species).