Tour operators, resort owners and tourism authorities in Uganda are planning to use a large amount of their promotional spending to target local and regional visitors after the sector was heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and international tourist arrivals dropped drastically.
The move is part of the tourism sector’s recovery plan from the global lockdowns that have seen the country lose a large portion of its $1.6 billion annual earnings from the tourism sector.
Jonathan Benaiah, the spokesperson of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), said despite a perception that their products are mostly for international visitors, they are aiming to attract more local tourists.
The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), a government body partially mandated to promote the county’s tourism sector, said they will support the private sector’s plan to target domestic tourists.
The UTB chief executive officer Lilly Ajarova said the board is currently in talks with tour operators and other service providers to draft a plan for the local market.
