Uganda Targets 13,000 French Tourists in Tourism Push

PARIS, September 15, 2026 — Uganda is stepping up efforts to expand its presence in the French and wider European tourism market, as the country showcases its tourism and investment opportunities at IFTM Top Resa 2026, France’s leading business-to-business travel trade fair.

Uganda is participating in the three-day event, running from September 15–17 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, under the Government’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy (ECD) Programme.

The Ugandan delegation is led by Ambassador Doreen Ruth Amule, Uganda’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, and Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Susan Nakawuki.

Uganda is exhibiting at Stand T072, where government agencies and private tourism operators are engaging French and European travel buyers.

The participation brings together the Embassy of Uganda in Paris, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, the Uganda Tourism Board and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, alongside 11 private-sector Destination Marketing Companies.

The participating companies are Africa Adventure Vacations, Cheetah Safaris Uganda, Destination Jungle, Grassrootz Adventures, Home to Africa, Ibis Adventures, Kazinga Tours, Let’s Go Travel, Sites Travel Uganda, Tripcare Adventures and Terrace Safaris.

Targeting a Larger Share of the French Market

Uganda’s participation comes as the country seeks to translate growing international visitor numbers into stronger tourism revenues and deeper commercial partnerships.

Provisional figures from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities show that Uganda received 1,642,215 international visitors in 2025, representing a 19.7 per cent increase from the previous year and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

Tourism revenues reached US$1.62 billion, an increase of 21.3 per cent.

France is increasingly becoming an important source market. Uganda recorded 7,439 French visitors in 2025, more than twice the number recorded in 2024.

French visitors are also considered a high-value segment, with average expenditure exceeding US$2,025 and typical stays ranging from eight to more than 15 nights.

The Government has linked the expansion of tourism to its broader Tenfold Growth Strategy, which targets a US$500 billion economy by 2040.

France-Uganda Economic Ties Extend Beyond Tourism

Uganda’s campaign in Paris is also being positioned within a wider effort to strengthen commercial and investment relations with France.

According to the Bank of Uganda’s 2023 Foreign Direct Investment Report, the latest available in the statement, French foreign direct investment in Uganda exceeded US$1.6 billion in 2023, accounting for 53 per cent of total FDI inflows.

Ahead of IFTM Top Resa, the Ugandan Embassy also launched an outdoor advertising campaign in Paris, featuring three fully branded Uganda buses operating on routes around major attractions including the Eiffel Tower.

The campaign is estimated to have generated up to eight million out-of-home impressions, giving Uganda increased visibility in one of Europe’s most important tourism markets.

“Our objective goes beyond promotion. Under the ECD Programme, we are equipping French and European trade partners with the tools and direct contacts to sell Uganda effectively, while advancing investment, air connectivity and long-term partnerships that benefit Ugandans,” Ambassador Amule said.

The Embassy is targeting 13,000 visitors from France, while also seeking to increase combined arrivals from France, Spain and Portugal to 18,000.

Selling the Pearl of Africa

At IFTM Top Resa, Uganda is presenting itself as a destination built around nature, adventure, authenticity and sustainable tourism.

Its tourism offer includes the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, Big Five safaris across its national parks, trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains, Nile experiences, birding and community-based tourism.

Uganda is also highlighting continued investment in accommodation and hospitality infrastructure.

Among the properties being promoted are the 181-room Kampala Marriott Hotel, Hemingway’s Hotel in Entebbe and new or expanded lodges in key tourism destinations, including Erebero Hills and Gorilla Forest Lodge in Bwindi, Namoni Lodge near Kidepo Valley, Kulu Ora in Murchison Falls and Paradise Island Resort on Lake Victoria.

Hilton Kampala is expected to open in 2027, further expanding Uganda’s premium hospitality offering.

Tourism, Events and New Itineraries

The Kampala delegation is also using the Paris trade fair to promote major sporting and tourism events that could provide French and European operators with new reasons to build Uganda into their itineraries.

These include the Race the Nile ULTRA Explorer Edition, an 800-kilometre gravel race scheduled for Arua in November 2026; the Africa Cup of Nations, to be co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in June and July 2027; the Rwenzori Marathon on August 21–22, 2027; and the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) in Kampala from May 20–22, 2027.

The Government’s approach combines public-sector facilitation through policy, conservation, infrastructure and market access with private-sector operators responsible for packaging, marketing and delivering tourism experiences.

IFTM Top Resa therefore provides a platform for Ugandan operators to engage directly with European buyers, negotiate contracts and develop long-term commercial relationships.

Uganda’s participation in Paris marks its third consecutive appearance at IFTM Top Resa, reflecting a broader strategy to deepen the country’s engagement with European tourism markets while using economic diplomacy to connect tourism promotion with investment, trade and air connectivity.

Uganda is exhibiting at Stand T072 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from September 15–17, 2026.