The Uganda Embassy in Ankara, working with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, and a number of Ugandan tour and travel companies, held Explore Uganda Tourism Roadshows in Gaziantep on 16 June 2026 and in Istanbul on 18 June 2026, pitching the country’s gorilla trekking and wider tourism offering to Turkish travel stakeholders.
The events form part of Uganda’s efforts to position itself as a leading tourism destination within the Turkish market, under the government’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Strategy, and are aimed at strengthening tourism and business ties between Uganda and Türkiye.
Speaking from Istanbul, Uganda’s Ambassador to Türkiye, H.E. Nusura Tiperu, said each roadshow attracted more than 200 Turkish tour trade buyers, including tour operators, travel agents, tourism investors, influencers, media representatives and tourism enthusiasts. “This strong turnout highlights the increasing interest among Turkish travellers and stakeholders in discovering Uganda’s unique attractions,” she said.
The roadshows follow a familiarisation trip to Uganda organised by Turkish tour operators between 25 April and 2 May 2026, which gave participants direct exposure to the country’s tourism sites, including its gorilla trekking experiences. That trip was intended to strengthen engagement with the Turkish travel sector, promote tourism partnerships, and support the development of travel packages to Uganda.
In her remarks, Ambassador Tiperu described tourism as a key pillar of relations between Uganda and Türkiye, and said the roadshows support the implementation of a 2016 agreement on cooperation in tourism between the two countries. She said the embassy remained committed to promoting Uganda’s tourism potential and to encouraging closer collaboration among stakeholders in the sector.
At both events, Ugandan tour operators held business-to-business sessions with their Turkish counterparts, aimed at establishing commercial partnerships and broadening market access. Francis Nyende, marketing manager at the Uganda Tourism Board, presented the country’s tourism offerings, with gorilla trekking, wildlife safaris, adventure tourism, birdwatching and cultural heritage among the attractions highlighted under Uganda’s brand tagline, “Explore Uganda, the Pearl of Africa”.
Hüseyin Kurt, managing director of GlobeMeets International Tourism Marketing Company, also addressed the roadshows, pointing to the scale of Türkiye’s outbound tourism market. He said he was committed to supporting Uganda’s efforts to establish itself as one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations, and pledged to work with Ugandan partners to promote the country’s tourism products to Turkish travellers.
The roadshows included testimonials from Turkish travel sector figures who have previously visited Uganda. Travel influencer Çağatay Özdemir, who has more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram, spoke about his experiences in the country, describing gorilla trekking as the highlight of his trip. He encouraged Turkish travellers to consider Uganda for future visits, citing its landscapes, wildlife, hospitality and cultural heritage.
The Istanbul roadshow concluded with a raffle draw, organised in partnership with Turkish Airlines, in which two participants won return air tickets to Uganda. The draw was well received by attendees, who said it added to enthusiasm around the event, with the winners saying they were looking forward to visiting the country.
Organisers said the Gaziantep and Istanbul roadshows were expected to raise awareness of Uganda as a destination in Türkiye, strengthen ties between tourism stakeholders in both countries, and contribute to an increase in tourist arrivals from the Turkish market.
