As the world starts to recover from the effects of the pandemic and opening up borders and skies to global tourism, on January 21, Uganda, refreshed its tourism destination brand promise, with the unveiling of a new brand identity that promises both domestic, regional and global tourists, an adventure of a lifetime.
The brand identity—Explore Uganda, The Pearl of Africa, was unveiled and launched by the country’s president, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city.
Museveni, was assisted by Col. Rtd Tom Butime, Hon Martin Bahinduka Mugarra and Ms. Doreen Katusiime, the Cabinet, State Minister and Permanent Secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, respectively.
The Brand was developed by Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Uganda’s tourism marketing and regulatory agency.
The Uganda Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Lilly Ajarova and her Deputy, Mr. Bradford Ochieng; and the Board Chairman, Hon. Daudi Migereko together with board members, hosted the unveiling, held at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
Speaking at the event, Ajarova, said that the new brand promise seeks to reemphasise Uganda’s rare and precious range of tourism attractions to the world, thereby earning destination Uganda competitive market share.
“Uganda is no doubt beautiful. Beautiful beyond measure. Yes, everyone knew that Uganda is and has always been the Pearl of Africa, – but there was a lack of clarity and consistency on, if Uganda is the Pearl of Africa- what pearls does it have to offer for each of the various travel segments and preferences,” she said.
Ajarova noted that , to win the marketplace, achieve the Number One objective of “Sustainably Promoting Uganda as a Competitive Tourism Destination for Inclusive Development’, it was very important that all stakeholders are aligned on what makes Uganda the Pearl of Africa and how do we unpack that to the various travel markets/segments around the world.”
“Explore, Uganda the Pearl of Africa is an invitation to our tourists- both domestic, regional and international to rediscover the magnificence of the Pearl,” she said
Adding, “We are promising and inviting them to Explore Uganda, The Pearl of Africa, for ADVENTURE OF THEIR LIFETIME.”
The UTB CEO, told guests that an invitation to explore, is about inviting someone to indulge themselves, to spoil themselves, to delve into deep-dive, to discover and rediscover the depth, range and variety of attractions in the pearl.
Meanwhile president Museveni beckoned the world to Explore Uganda, The Pearl of Africa saying that, the uniqueness of her attractions guaranteed a better experience and higher return on investment.
He particularly extolled Uganda’s unique terrain, that made the country a “roof of Africa” where Lake Victoria sits, giving birth to the Mighty River Nile that flows through various Ugandan lakes on its way to Alexandria in Egypt.
Museveni also highlighted Uganda’s abundant vegetation, temperate climate, variety of wildlife, strategic location on the Equator, cultural diversity, community tourism, peace and security, among others.
He also said, Uganda’s unique place in anthropogeny as the birthplace of humankind should be studied, documented and sold as a tourist attraction.
Mr. Museveni welcomed the new brand promise and recognized Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) for the imaginative repackaging of Uganda’s tourism value proposition.
“I congratulate the board by led by Hon. Daudi Migereko (Chairman) and others. I also congratulate the Ministry, under Col. Rtd. Tom Butime,” he said.
The rebranding is an essential component of UTB’s Strategic Plan (FY 2020/21 – 2024/25) that seeks to “Sustainably Promote Uganda as a Competitive Tourism Destination for Inclusive Development” with a strategic goal to “sustainably increase the volume and value of tourism in Uganda.”
Under this plan, UTB is pursuing 5 major objectives, namely:
i) To Increase Tourist Arrivals
ii) To Increase Investment and Job Creation in The Tourism Sector
iii) Increase The Competitiveness of the Tourism Destination
iv) To Improve Collection and Access to Tourism Information
v) To Improve Internal Efficiency and Effectiveness
nings and GDP; improve Uganda’s competitiveness as an international tourism destination; and increase Uganda’s share of Africa’s and World tourism market.