By Joseph Mary Buwule
Uganda has welcomed a delegation of hosted travel agents and buyers from Southern Africa as part of preparations for the highly anticipated Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo 2026 (POATE 2026), in a move aimed at strengthening tourism partnerships and promoting Uganda’s diverse attractions to the regional market.
According to Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation, coordinated through the Uganda High Commission in Pretoria, includes tourism and travel trade representatives from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
The familiarisation trip and trade engagement initiative is designed to give the visitors firsthand experience of Uganda’s tourism potential while creating stronger business linkages between Ugandan tourism stakeholders and the Southern African travel market.
During their stay in Uganda, the delegation will tour some of the country’s iconic tourism destinations, experience Uganda’s unique wildlife, explore its rich cultural heritage, and sample a variety of hospitality products that continue to position the country as one of Africa’s emerging tourism destinations.
The visitors are also expected to participate in strategic business-to-business engagements during POATE 2026, where they will interact with Ugandan tour operators, hotel owners, travel agencies, and other tourism sector players.
Officials say the initiative is part of broader efforts to market Uganda internationally and increase tourist arrivals by building stronger regional tourism networks and partnerships.
POATE has over the years grown into Uganda’s flagship tourism and trade exhibition, attracting international buyers, investors, tourism professionals, and media from across the globe. The expo provides a platform for showcasing Uganda’s tourism products while creating opportunities for investment and collaboration in the tourism sector.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the engagement with Southern African travel agents and buyers is expected to boost destination awareness, create new travel packages, and expand Uganda’s footprint within the regional tourism market.
Uganda continues to market itself as the “Pearl of Africa,” renowned for its mountain gorillas, national parks, diverse wildlife, cultural diversity, scenic landscapes, and warm hospitality.