Uganda Aims for Tourism Revenue Surge, Targets $1.9 Billion Annually

Uganda’s tourism authorities have announced their ambition to boost annual tourism revenue to approximately 1.9 billion U.S. dollars and elevate the inbound tourism revenue per visitor from 1,052 dollars to 1,500 dollars.

The revelation came from Ugandan Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, Tom Butime, during the launch of the “Dissemination of Tourism Industry Performance 2023” report on Wednesday.

Minister Butime highlighted that Uganda’s tourism revenue for the fiscal year ending 2023 surged to over 1 billion U.S. dollars, compared to approximately 687.2 million dollars recorded in the preceding year. He credited this increase to extensive tourism promotion efforts undertaken by the ministry and other stakeholders.

The report indicated that international tourism arrivals climbed to about 1.3 million in 2023, marking a 56.5 percent increase from 2022. Notably, arrivals from Africa remained the predominant source of Uganda’s inbound tourism, constituting 89.2 percent of the total.

Tourism stands as one of Uganda’s principal foreign exchange generators, contributing around 5 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, according to data from the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development.