Uganda Uncovered has launched the 4th Edition of its Travel Writing Competition for 2024, emphasizing the importance of conservation. At the launch event, the Minister of State for Tourism, Martin Mugarra, highlighted the competition’s role in bridging the information gap within the rapidly growing tourism sector.
Mugarra stressed that the competition provides a crucial platform for promoting Uganda’s diverse tourist attractions through compelling written content. He emphasized the need to share the Ugandan story and demonstrate the affordability of travel within the country to encourage more Ugandans to explore their homeland.
“I am delighted to launch the fourth edition of the Travel Writing Competition. Over the past two years, I have seen Uganda Uncovered grow and witnessed the potential of our young people to write and market Uganda. This gives me hope for the future of our tourism industry. Engaging young people in this competition means we have diverse platforms to tell the Ugandan story,” said Mugarra.
Allen Namisango, Team Leader at Uganda Uncovered, stated their goal to involve more youth in the tourism sector. By equipping them with travel writing skills, the competition enables young people to earn from their passion while building resilience.
She said this year’s theme, “Harnessing Uganda’s Tourism Through Conservation,” underscores the inseparable link between responsible tourism and conservation efforts.
“Uganda’s tourism heavily relies on wildlife and nature. We must find ways to conserve these resources while promoting tourism. Our theme reflects this balance. As we attract tourists, we need strategies to protect our natural heritage for the future,” explained Namisango.
In addition to the competition, Uganda Uncovered has partnered with the Uganda Publishing and Printing Corporation (UPPC) to produce the recently launched Uganda Uncovered Travel Magazine. Namisango noted that this initiative aims to bridge the information gap in Uganda’s tourism sector by Publishing creating more written content about the country’s attractions.
“We receive over 500 submissions through the travel writing competition, and publishing these stories in a magazine allows us to showcase them. This magazine serves as a physical testament to the rich tourism content we gather,” she added.
Rebeccah Nyakairu, Public and Corporate Affairs Manager at UPPC, expressed their commitment to supporting Uganda Uncovered and the tourism sector by reviving the printing museum and school to preserve the history and heritage of the printing industry.
“We are excited to join Uganda Uncovered in telling local stories and promoting tourism. Our mandate as publishers is to ensure these stories reach the right audience. We aim to attract tourists through well-published content,” said Nyakairu.
Mugarra also praised the quality of the magazine, noting its potential to contribute significantly to the tourism industry. He urged the inclusion of multimedia content like video clips to reach a wider audience and address the challenge of limited reading habits among Ugandans.
“I commend UPPC for supporting this initiative by providing more copies of the magazine. To reach a broader audience, I hope we can incorporate other forms of content, such as video clips of travel experiences, under the same brand,” Mugarra concluded.