Uganda has been featured on Season 20 of Échappées Belles, a popular French weekly discovery program airing on Saturday evenings on France 5. The Uganda episode premiered on April 25, 2026, and will continue to run for a month, showcasing the ქვეყან’s tourism potential to French audiences.
The program, whose title translates to “Great Escapes,” highlights lesser-known destinations with remarkable landscapes and cultural experiences. Hosted by Ismaël Khelifa, the Uganda feature follows an 11-day safari itinerary across the country’s national parks, including gorilla trekking, game drives, and immersive cultural encounters.
The episode was funded under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Programme and sponsored by the Uganda Embassy in Paris to boost Uganda’s visibility and credibility as a tourist destination.
Ahead of the broadcast, Uganda’s Ambassador to France, Doreen Amule, hosted a high-profile premiere on April 16, 2026, at La Marina Des Maqeureaux. The event brought together French tour operators, journalists, and decision-makers, aiming to strengthen partnerships and increase media coverage.
“We are incredibly proud of the strong media exposure Uganda is receiving,” said Amb. Amule during the premiere. “Europe has long explored the world, but we believe the world’s best-kept secret is waiting for French travellers in Uganda.”
Reflecting on his experience filming in the country, Khelifa described Uganda as “a true treasure of biodiversity thanks to its incredibly warm people, exceptional nature and abundant wildlife.”
Head of Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Margaret Kafeero, emphasised the importance of tailoring content to target audiences. “…80% of French people decide to travel to a place primarily because they have seen it on Television. It is therefore laudable that the Uganda Embassy in Paris is responsive to French culture and is customising content for the channels through which they consume information,” she said.
At the same event, Daniel Irunga, Senior Brand Manager at the Uganda Tourism Board, highlighted the strategic value of the premiere. “The Premiere delivered an immersive, memorable experience with compelling storytelling directly to strategic partners in tourism, converting awareness into action by inspiring inclusion of Uganda in travel offerings and media narratives in France,” he said.
He added that, “The UTB would like to see more of our Missions abroad getting involved in customised content development for their local audiences, the way the Uganda Embassy in Paris has done.”
Following its broadcast on TV5 Monde Europe, the Uganda episode of Échappées Belles is also available online for wider audiences.