MUNYONYO – Uganda’s tourism leaders and private sector investors have convened at Speke Resort Munyonyo today for a high-level roundtable breakfast meeting organized by the Presidential CEO Forum, ahead of the forthcoming 6th bi annual private sector retreat in Fort Portal. The meeting brought together senior government officials, presidential advisers on tourism, cultural institutions, tour operators, hoteliers, consultants, and development partners to address the sector’s persistent challenges and opportunities.
Speaking on behalf of the State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, the Director of Tourism, Dr. Basil Ajer, emphasized the urgent need to unlock the sector’s full potential. “If we are to position Uganda competitively, we must activate the entire tourism value chain,” he said. Dr. Ajer noted that Uganda’s return on investment in tourism averages 14 percent, while return on equity ranges between 20–25 percent, making the sector one of the most viable for economic growth. He pledged to convene an inter-ministerial meeting to harmonize solutions, adding that resolutions from the dialogue would be escalated to the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Executive Director of the National Planning Authority, Dr. Joseph Muvawala, called the current moment a “turning point” for Uganda’s economy and tourism. He underscored the fiscal constraints the country faces, pointing out that although Uganda’s national budget stands at UGX 72 trillion, only UGX 32 trillion is collected domestically, with the remainder financed through borrowing. “We have invested in fundamentals, but the fiscal space remains tight—less than UGX 20 trillion is available for development. To change course, the economy must multiply three times in the next five years, growing at about 10 percent annually,” he said.
Dr. Muvawala challenged the private sector to drive this transformation by scaling tourism tenfold in the next 15 years. “We cannot continue doing business the same way. This sector must become more private-sector driven. The decisions we make in forums like this one will run the country,” he added.
During the meeting, private sector players raised concerns ranging from inaccurate tourism data, underfunded marketing, poor infrastructure, and bureaucratic bottlenecks to weak crisis communication and investment barriers. Participants called for reforms in tax regimes, better road and air connectivity and more aggressive international branding of Uganda’s “Explore Uganda” campaign.
The discussions in Munyonyo set the stage for the larger Tourism Forum in Fort Portal, where stakeholders are expected to refine actionable commitments to make tourism a leading driver of Uganda’s economic growth
