Economy
POATE 2025 Day Two: Uganda’s Bright Economic Future Paves Way for Tourism Growth, PSST Ggoobi Says
Uganda’s commitment to positioning itself as a premier global tourism destination took centre stage on the second day of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2025, held at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
An address by Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance, delivered on his behalf by Uganda’s Bright Economic Future Paves Way for Tourism Growth, Ggoobi Says, highlighted the government’s robust support for sustainable tourism and economic transformation.
Speaking under the POATE 2025 theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation: Explore Uganda – An Experience of a Lifetime,” Ggoobi noted that the event reflects “Uganda’s unwavering commitment to positioning the country as a premier global destination that leverages its unique natural and cultural heritage for sustainable development.”
He reaffirmed the government’s target of achieving USD 50 billion in tourism earnings by 2040 under the Tenfold Growth Strategy, noting that “the foundations of that ambition are firmly taking shape.”
Mr. Joseph Enyimu, Acting Commissioner of Economic Development, Policy and Research
“Tourism is a cornerstone for Uganda’s economic development, contributing significantly to GDP, employment, and foreign exchange earnings,” he said. “We are on track to achieve an average annual growth rate of 7% by June 2026, one of the highest on the African continent.”
Further bolstering this optimism, Mr. Ggoobi pointed to recent data from the Bureau of Statistics, which revealed a broad-based, inclusive, pro-poor, transformative, and sustainable economic growth over the last four years.
“The 2024 household survey results…revealed that poverty in Uganda has further declined,” he announced, with the share of the population living below the national poverty line reducing from 20.3% to 16%, surpassing the national target of 18.5% by 2025. “We’ve been able to deliver beyond this goal, ahead of time, and congratulations to players such as yourself that make jobs available and make incomes readily available in the pockets of the citizens,” he commended.
The report also indicated a significant decline in income inequality, with the Gini coefficient reducing to 0.38 from 0.41 in 2020. “That means our growth is equitable, and it is pulling out more poor people,” Ggoobi emphasised.
He went and outlined six strategic pillars under the Tenfold Strategy to position Uganda as a competitive tourism destination: Infrastructure Expansion – Upgrading key roads, airports, and digital platforms to enhance accessibility.
Marketing & Branding, Leveraging Uganda’s international missions and the “Explore Uganda” campaign. Human Capital Development – Training guides hospitality professionals and service providers to meet global standards.
Diversifying Tourism Offerings; Developing niche sectors like cultural, medical, religious, and adventure tourism. Improved Connectivity;Investing in Uganda Airlines and domestic flight routes. Streamlining Visas & Strengthening Partnerships; Easing online visa processes and enhancing government-private sector collaboration.
He further revealed that over UGX 100 billion has been earmarked for economic and commercial diplomacy, while UGX 31 trillion is allocated in the coming fiscal year to create an enabling environment for tourism, covering peace and security, infrastructure, and standards compliance.
“Tourism is an experience,” he said. “That’s why we are investing heavily in the enablers from new flight routes like the Entebbe-London line to quality assurance systems.”
Amos Wekesa the founder, proprietor and managing director of Great Lakes Safaris Limited who delivered the keynote address also re-echoed the beauty of Uganda which position the country as a best destination in the world.
Amos Wekesa
“According to Visa International Research, between 34% and to 36%of the people who cross borders cross because they are looking for good weather. I can tell you, there’s no country in the world that you can find a buffet of 25 dishes, all different, like Uganda, including the sweetest pineapple in the world, there’s no country that has better weather in the world than Uganda,” he said
In the same line, Doreen Katusiime, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, commended the exponential growth of POATE, now in its 9th edition.
“It has grown from just an expo for tour operators to a comprehensive forum that brings together creatives, young people, and professionals from across the industry,” she said. “We now have workshops, conferences, and forums for sharing ideas and learning from one another. It’s massive, and we’re proud to be making history.”
Meanwhile, this year has pulled over 300 exhibitors from 200 last year and around 3,000 delegates from 50 countries participating in POATE 2025
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