Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni backs visa-free Africa tourism
campaign, the country’s Tourism Board now says.
Museveni’s endorsement came during a meeting with a Ghanaian
delegation, spearheading the Trans-Africa Tourism & Unity Campaign, and
Ugandan tourism officials at the Mayuge State Lodge, the Ugandan Tourism Board
announced in a statement.
"The president pledged strong support for the
initiative, which aims to foster unity, development, and collaboration across
the continent through strategic engagement in tourism," the statement
read.
The initiative seeks to create a unified African tourism
market by removing visa barriers, allowing visitors to experience multiple
countries on a single trip.
Officials highlighted that visa restrictions currently reduce
travel flows by up to 63% and hinder trade and investment.
Uganda's tourism sector has shown strong recovery, with
international arrivals growing 7.7% in 2024 to 1.37 million visitors,
predominantly from African markets, according to the state agency.
The country reportedly aims to grow tourism's GDP
contribution to $50 billion by 2040, with visa liberalization seen as
crucial to achieving this target.
