Investment gap has threatens growth of Tourism

Investment gap has threatens growth of Tourism in the East Africa region or Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania

Some of the most glaring challenges identified during the discussion was the substantial disparity between Tourism’s contribution to the economy and the government’s investment in the sector.
This funding gap becomes even more concerning when compared to regional competitors.

Recent analysis by the East African Tourism Platform reveals that Kenya’s Tourism budget for 2023/2024 stands at approximately $118 million, while Tanzania allocated $94 million to tourism development and marketing.

Rwanda, despite its smaller size, dedicated $49 million specifically to tourism promotion – all significantly outpacing Uganda’s investment.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, international tourist arrivals reached approximately 8500000in 2023, showing recovery but still below the pre-pandemic peak of 1.5 million visitors recorded in 2019

Industry experts warn that without increased investment, Uganda risks falling further behind in the competitive regional tourism landscape.

For us to grow meaningfully, we need to be growing at double digits Since 2020, we’ve been trying to recover numbers lost during COVID-19. But recovery is not enough, we need expansion.” Tourism economists project that with proper investment and marketing, Uganda could potentially attract over 2 million international visitors annually by 2027, generating close to $2 billion in direct revenue.