KAMPALA– A team from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), and other officials are currently in Egypt to promote and market destination Uganda alongside the Uganda Cranes.
The UTB team has partnered with the victorious Uganda Cranes team that trounced DRC on June 21, in a 2-0 win over our neighbours. The Cranes are making a second consecutive appearance at the Continental event after appearing at the 2017 showpiece.
The UTB team was led by the State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda. UTB’s visit to the North African country is to promote Uganda’s tourist attractions to a global audience that will be gathered in Egypt during the tournament and also rally support for the national team.
According to Hon. Kiwanda, the African Cup brings together several travellers and holidaymakers from all over the world to a host nation and this makes it a bountiful opportunity for Uganda to market her tourist attractions.
“Egypt is well-known world over for the pyramids and the River Nile. As the country that has the source of the Nile, we feel that this is a great opportunity to market the source of this river as well as our tourism potential to the rest of the world while utilizing this sports platform,” he explains.
UTB has also supported the victorious Uganda Cranes with a hefty support package worth UGX 200 Million in a sponsorship agreement that was signed between UTB and the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) – with UTB as the official tourism partner of the Uganda Cranes.
The agreement will see the two institutions work hand in hand to promote brand Uganda at both the domestic and international scene.
The partnership gives UTB rights to brand Destination Uganda at local and international games in which the Uganda Cranes are participating as well as work with the players in destination marketing campaigns.
As the Uganda Cranes continue to excel after beating the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, June 22, the team is gearing up to take on Zimbabwe on June 26 and the final Group A game against hosts Egypt, Uganda will also, be showcasing her tourism potential.
According to UTB CEO, Lilly Ajarova, the agency will set up a hospitality tent in Egypt where visitors will get the chance to learn more about Uganda as well as understanding her tourism packages with emphasis on the uniting attraction that is – The RiverNile.
“We have invited dignitaries from all the AFCON 2019 participating nations and we shall treat them to the Ugandan experience. We have also planned an open day where everyone will be invited to try out the Ugandan cuisine, learn the Ugandan culture as well as experience Ugandan hospitality,” Ajarova explains.
“Football is the world’s greatest sport viewed by billions of fans across the globe. In Uganda, the Cranes are the greatest football brand – but more importantly the leading sporting ambassadors to the region and the world.” Ajarova added.
Ajarova says UTB’s mission is “to open up brand Uganda to the massive sports audience where our national team participates.”
At the start of this year, UTB embarked on initiatives to promote sports tourism in the country. The agency inked a partnership with the Uganda Golf Union in which the countrywide golf Tours were born.
These allowed golfers to traverse different parts of the country playing the game of golf whilst touring their country.
ABOUT UGANDA
Known as the “Pearl of Africa,” Uganda is located in East Africa and offers some of the continent’s most diverse wildlife viewing, dramatic landscapes, and immersive cultural experiences and warm people and hospitality.
Uganda is home to more than half the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas, and trekking to observe these gentle giants in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the world’s top bucket list travel activities. Safari opportunities abound in savanna, forest, and wetland settings throughout 10 national parks, where visitors can come face to face with “The Big Five” – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo – as well as giraffe, zebra, chimpanzee, hippopotamus, crocodile, and more than half of all bird species found in Africa.
Among Uganda’s extraordinary natural attractions are the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains; expansive Lake Victoria, which forms the source of the Nile River; and Murchison Falls National Park.