Uganda ranks 5th at the 2018 ITB Berlin tourism expo

Uganda emerges 5th best exhibitor in African category at ITB Berlin travel expo.

In the process to hit the 4 million tourist arrivals target by 2020, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities together with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and other stake holders organized to exhibit the pearl of Africa in the ITB Berlin tourism expo in German this year.

Uganda was ranked the 5^th best exhibiting country out of the 800 total participants in the African category. Being one of the World’s leading Travel Trade Shows, the ITB Berlin Travel expo was very vital to Uganda’s tourism sector as Germany which was the host country is the third market source for tourists in Uganda annually.

Prior to the expo, UTB had anticipated Ugandan firms making deals worth around Shs 3 billion during their stay in Berlin because this expo is a gathering center for tourism actors from all over the world with at least 10,000 businesses partaking this year.

UTB financed over 30 high profiled tourism business operators to the expo; an act from which many these operators are expected to reap big. More than 10, 0000 trade visitors and potential travelers looking out for business gaps and inspiration for their next trip attended the expo.

ITB Berlin, the leading business platform for global tourism offers was this year opened by the Germany Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel and she underlined the need for tourism sustainability, the problems of mass tourism and the opportunity that tourism offers in an economy. “Travel improves the mind wonderfully, and does away with all one’s prejudices,” she quoted Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.

The tourism industry in Uganda is so far the country’s leading foreign exchange earner and it has become a priority area for the economic development of the nation. Among the many products that were showcased by destination Uganda, include – the culture, Wildlife, the equator, mountain gorillas, adventure products and various Uganda tour packages that were presented by private tour operators, hoteliers and destination management companies.