President Museveni has urged Ugandan’s to embrace tourism and other productive sectors as alternative sources of household income, saying the industry offers vast opportunities for communities and individuals.
The President made the remarks on Sunday while presiding over national celebrations to mark World Tourism Day 2026 at Mbale Secondary School grounds in Mbale City.
The celebrations were held under the theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
President Museveni said tourism is one of the lucrative service industries, particularly for households with limited land for commercial agriculture.
He urged communities to position themselves to benefit from the sector’s economic multiplier effect through businesses such as accommodation, transport, food, entertainment, tour guiding and cultural enterprises.
The President contrasted the scale of the global tourism industry with the coffee market, saying tourism supports a wider chain of economic activities and therefore presents significant opportunities for income generation.
Mbale Zoo commissioned
President Museveni 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.
He commended UWA for establishing the facility, saying it would raise awareness about wildlife conservation while providing another tourism attraction for residents and visitors.
The President urged residents of the Elgon Sub-region to take advantage of the four broad wealth-creation sectors—commercial agriculture, manufacturing and artisanship, services, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
He said Uganda’s socio-economic transformation depends on households participating in productive economic activities rather than relying solely on subsistence production.
Museveni warns against environmental degradation
President Museveni also 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 because forests, wetlands, wildlife habitats and other ecosystems form the foundation of many of the country’s natural attractions.
The President called for stronger conservation measures in the Elgon region, saying changes in weather and temperatures demonstrate the need to protect the environment.
He said temperatures in the region had changed significantly compared with conditions experienced in the 1960s, urging residents to protect the ecosystems that support tourism and livelihoods.
President Museveni 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.
Government promises last-mile tourism infrastructure
The President reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to developing last-mile infrastructure to tourism sites across the Elgon Sub-region and other parts of the country.
He said Uganda had established basic conditions necessary for tourism growth, including peace, security and road connectivity.
The next priority, he said, should be extending roads, electricity, water and communication networks to tourism attractions to improve accessibility and unlock their economic potential.
He added that communities surrounding tourism sites should be positioned to benefit from increased visitor numbers through enterprises and services along the tourism value chain.
Museveni proposes Bugisu Anthem for East African Federation
During the celebrations, President Museveni proposed that the Bugisu Anthem be considered as a possible anthem for the proposed East African Federation if the region’s long-term political integration aspirations are realised.
He praised the anthem’s lyrics and melody, highlighting its cultural significance to the people of Bugisu.
Government embraces digital tourism
The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Col (Rtd) Tom Butime, said the Government was increasingly embracing digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to promote domestic and international tourism.
Col Butime said AI and other smart technologies could transform how Uganda markets and showcases its tourism destinations while making information about attractions more accessible to visitors.
He said the 2026 World Tourism Day theme provides an opportunity for Uganda to explore how emerging technologies can improve the tourism experience through digital booking platforms, smart park gates and AI-supported safari planning.
Col Butime described Mbale and the wider Elgon Sub-region as areas with distinctive tourism products, citing the region’s scenery, Mount Elgon landscape, cuisine, cultural heritage and hospitality.
He said promoting local tourism products would encourage more Ugandans to explore the country’s natural, cultural and culinary heritage while creating employment and business opportunities.
However, he identified limited investment and access to capital for developing tourism facilities, as well as visa-related challenges affecting some international visitors, among the bottlenecks constraining the sector.
He said addressing the challenges, alongside improving tourism infrastructure, investment and accessibility, would be critical to unlocking the region’s tourism potential.
Netherlands eyes tourism investment
The Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda, Angèle Samura, highlighted opportunities for increased tourism investment and cooperation between Uganda and European partners, particularly in the hospitality sector.
Ms Samura said potential areas of cooperation include human-capital development and skills training, sustainable hospitality practices and the adoption of AI and other digital technologies.
She said Uganda was increasingly attracting European tourists, citing figures showing that tourist arrivals from Europe increased from about 38,000 in 2024 to approximately 150,000 in 2025.
The ambassador described Uganda as a destination offering wildlife, natural attractions, wellness experiences, food and culinary tourism, and diverse cultural products.
She said these attractions provide opportunities for Uganda to attract more international visitors while creating room for stronger collaboration between Ugandan and European tourism stakeholders.
Ms Samura also stressed the need for continued improvements across the tourism ecosystem to ensure that increased visitor numbers translate into greater benefits for communities and businesses.
Mbale mayor touts digital tourism
Mbale City Mayor Joyce Matuka Kidulu said digital tourism could help position the city as a strategic tourism destination and gateway to East Africa from Uganda’s eastern region.
Ms Kidulu said digital technologies could increase the visibility of Mbale’s attractions, improve access to information and connect the city and wider Bugisu region to domestic and international visitors.
She also highlighted proposed projects in the region, including a Regional University of Science and Technology and a stadium, saying they could support the area’s growth and tourism potential.
The mayor commended President Museveni for what she described as Uganda’s development journey, particularly Government efforts towards women’s empowerment and increased participation of women in leadership and economic activities.
