In a bold push to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), boost tourism and trade, and promote science and technology transfer, the Uganda Embassy in Ankara has launched an intensive series of tourism roadshows and business forums across Türkiye.
Running from June 13–20, 2025, the campaign is making stops in six of Türkiye’s most strategic cities—Ankara, Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, Konya, and Gaziantep.
Organized under the Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy mandate, the roadshows aim to foster strategic partnerships by targeting Turkish cities with industrial and economic complementarities to Uganda. The initiative seeks to create frameworks for long-term cooperation and mutually beneficial exchanges.
Led by Uganda’s Ambassador to Türkiye, H.E. Nusura Tiperu, and Counsellor Nelson Kasigaire, the campaign is backed by a delegation comprising the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), and the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC).
Their engagements have captured the attention of the Turkish business community, resulting in high-level meetings with local investors, tourism operators, and chambers of commerce.
Speaking in Mersin and Bursa, Counsellor Kasigaire highlighted a strategic partnership with Mr. Dilek Dere, Regional President of the Türkiye Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB)—Türkiye’s largest and oldest tourism body with over 15,000 members.
“Our goal is to increase awareness of Uganda’s investment incentives and tourism offerings, and to encourage the development of joint ventures between Ugandan and Turkish businesses,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of designing tour packages tailored to the Turkish market, under Uganda’s tourism brand, “Explore Uganda – The Pearl of Africa.” Future familiarization (FAM) trips and exploratory missions to Uganda are planned to deepen interest among Turkish tour operators.
The Embassy has hosted gala dinners in several cities to complement the business engagements, providing Turkish stakeholders a taste of Uganda’s legendary hospitality. These events featured cultural performances by the Ndere Troupe, with veteran performer Stephen Rwangyezi offering a narrative that cleverly blended diplomacy with culture, creating a compelling case for visiting and investing in Uganda.
On June 17, the delegation visited Konya, Türkiye’s third-largest industrial hub, and met with Vice Chairperson of the Konya Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Fahrettin Doğru. The chamber boasts over 30,000 members.
Through collaboration with ASKON (the Anatolian Lions Businessmen Association), Uganda’s delegation toured prominent factories, including: Yemsa Makina, a leading manufacturer of feed machinery exporting to over 34 countries; Konak Chocolate & Confectionery, a 1958-established factory that currently imports cocoa from Ivory Coast and expressed interest in sourcing from Uganda; and AKONA Irrigation Systems, an established agricultural distributor exporting to over 30 countries.
Meanwhile, in Bursa—Türkiye’s second-largest industrial and tourism city—TÜRSAB travel agents confirmed plans to bring an inaugural group of 80 Turkish tourists to Uganda.
Ambassador Tiperu, hosting the gala dinner there, welcomed this growing interest. “Arrivals from Türkiye increased from 1,120 in 2022 to 1,428 in 2023,” she said. “Türkiye ranks among Uganda’s top 10 potential overseas tourism markets, and we are optimistic about growing these numbers with direct flights and tailored tour packages. Our goal is to attract at least 1,000 additional Turkish visitors within the next 12 months.”
UTB Marketing Manager, Francis Nyende, noted that Uganda currently receives only 1.5 million tourists annually. “Uganda offers more than the Big Five. We present a compact but diverse cultural experience, offering great value for money. This cultural gala has introduced Uganda to Türkiye in a new light,” he said.
Rita Mugula, Deputy Director for Investment Promotion at UIA, emphasized Türkiye’s value as an emerging market. “There’s much Uganda can learn from Türkiye’s structured tourism and industrial sectors. This campaign is not only about attracting visitors, but investors as well,” she stated.
The roadshow concludes with a grand finale in Istanbul on June 20, 2025, in what the Embassy has described as a signal that “Uganda is Open for Business.”
