Coffee Tourism: Uganda’s New Strategy to Grow Exports and Soft Power

Uganda has officially launched a coffee tourism initiative aimed at leveraging the country’s coffee heritage to strengthen tourism, expand markets, create jobs and enhance Uganda’s international image.

Speaking at the launch in Kampala, Ambassador Henry Mayega, Head of International Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said coffee and Uganda were “inseparable,” given the country’s reputation as a producer of both Robusta and Arabica coffee.

Mayega said diplomacy plays a critical role in creating relationships, opening markets and increasing Uganda’s visibility internationally, noting that Ugandan missions abroad are actively promoting coffee as part of the country’s economic and commercial diplomacy.

He argued that Uganda must move beyond exporting raw commodities and capture more value from its coffee production.

Ambassador Henry Mayega, is the Head of International Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Uganda must therefore capture more value from what it produces. Coffee tourism complements export growth by creating an additional revenue stream,” Mayega said.

According to Mayega, combining coffee and tourism presents opportunities for job creation and regional development, particularly in communities where coffee is grown.

He said coffee tourism can generate income for farmers, youth, women, entrepreneurs and other workers while creating employment across the tourism and coffee value chains.

Mayega described Kampala as the launchpad for the initiative, saying the convergence of international business, Uganda’s agricultural products and tourism provides an opportunity to tell a stronger Ugandan story to the world.

Mr Duncan Abigaba

He also positioned coffee tourism as a tool for strengthening Uganda’s soft power and country brand.

“Uganda is known for coffee,” he said, pointing to the way African countries are often identified globally through signature commodities, with Uganda associated with coffee and Kenya with tea.

He said coffee tourism could help place Uganda’s coffee-growing destinations on the global tourism map while giving international visitors an opportunity to experience the journey from production to consumption.

Mayega called for collective action involving government agencies, the private sector, diplomatic missions, cooperatives, tourism stakeholders and international partners to develop the sector.

He congratulated the Uganda Tourism Board and other partners for supporting the initiative, describing the launch as significant to Uganda’s standing on the international scene.

“I want to take this opportunity to officially launch coffee tourism in Kampala and to invite Ugandans and visitors from around the world to discover Uganda’s coffee, from the bean to the cup,” he said.

Mr Duncan Abigaba who represented Inspire Africa, hailed the ministry’s support.