On September 28, 2026, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni presided over the national celebrations to mark World Tourism Day 2026 at Mbale Secondary School Grounds in Mbale City. The event was held under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” President Museveni encouraged Ugandans to embrace tourism and other productive sectors as alternative avenues for increasing household incomes. He noted that tourism is among the lucrative service industries, particularly for households with limited land for commercial agriculture.
President Museveni contrasted the size of the global tourism industry with the coffee market, saying tourism presents economic opportunities on a much larger scale. He cited the broad chain of activities supported by tourism, including accommodation, transport, food, entertainment, guiding, cultural enterprises, and other services. The President also commissioned the Mbale Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, commonly known as Mbale Zoo, established by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to promote wildlife conservation education and tourism in the Elgon Sub-region.
President Museveni commended UWA for establishing the regional facility, saying it would contribute to raising awareness about wildlife conservation while creating another tourism attraction for residents and visitors to the region. He urged residents of the Elgon Sub-region to take advantage of the country’s four broad wealth-creation sectors—commercial agriculture, manufacturing and artisanship, services, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)—to improve household incomes. President Museveni emphasized that Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation depends on households participating in productive economic activities.
President Museveni unveiled a Tourism Conservation Strategy for the Elgon Sub-region, with emphasis on protecting forests and wetlands from encroachment and degradation. He warned that environmental destruction threatens Uganda’s tourism industry, as forests, wetlands, wildlife habitats, and other ecosystems form an important foundation for the country’s natural attractions. The President called for stronger conservation measures, particularly in the Elgon region, noting that changes in weather and temperatures demonstrate the importance of protecting the environment.
The President described wetland encroachers and people involved in deforestation as enemies of Uganda’s tourism development, warning that environmental degradation could undermine the country’s tourism potential. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to developing last-mile infrastructure to tourism sites across the Elgon Sub-region and the rest of the country. President Museveni said Uganda had made significant progress in establishing the basic conditions necessary for tourism growth, including peace, security, road connectivity, and other supporting infrastructure.
The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Col. (Rtd) Tom Butime, said the Government is increasingly embracing digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of efforts to promote domestic and international tourism. Hon. Butime said AI and other smart technologies could transform how Uganda markets and showcases its tourism destinations while making information about attractions more readily accessible to domestic and international visitors.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Uganda, H.E. Angèle Samura, highlighted emerging opportunities for increased tourism investment and cooperation between Uganda and European partners, particularly in the hospitality sector. Ambassador Samura said areas of potential cooperation include human-capital development and skills training, sustainable hospitality practices, and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and other digital technologies to improve tourism services and enhance visitor experiences.
Key points
- President Museveni urges Ugandans to tap into the global tourism market to increase household incomes.
- The President commissions Mbale Zoo to promote wildlife conservation education and tourism in the Elgon Sub-region.
- The Government is embracing digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence to promote domestic and international tourism.
