By Vincent Mugaba
I was there admiring the beauty of Uganda. And I couldn’t keep quiet and I said, this country is beautiful-President Jacob Zuma of South Africa – 2017
Tourism minister Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu is leading a team of private tour operators and government agencies to Africa’s biggest travel expo, the Travel Indaba 2018 Fair at the Durban International Convention Centre in Durban, South Africa. The expo runs from the 8th – 10th May 2018.
Uganda Tourism Board, the government agency the markets Uganda tourism, coordinated the private and public sector participation in the expo and Uganda (#UgandaIndaba2018) is found at stall DEC2A18. On the sidelines of the expo, Hon. Kamuntu will meet with his South African counterpart, Mr. Derek Hanekom who heads the tourism ministry in the southern African nation.
The theme for this year’s show is “Tell the Story of African Success”. The hosting city of Durban will also be celebrating the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth with the participant at the expo.
At last year’s expo, the former South African President, Jacob Zuma said he would not contain his sense of wonder when he visited Uganda. “I was there admiring the beauty of Uganda. And I couldn’t keep quiet and I said, this country is beautiful.”
Stephen Asiimwe, the CEO Uganda Tourism Board says team Uganda will continue that story- sharing the tourism success.
“Uganda is very culturally diverse, friendly and full of surprises, which provides for great stories. From culture to history to faith, we have it all,” says Asiimwe. “Government is supporting the marketing efforts by providing more funding and making use of our diplomatic missions abroad which have been tasked with promoting commercial diplomacy, under which tourism falls. We are working with Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo and her staff from Pretoria to promote Uganda at the Indaba 2018.”
H.E Barbara Nekesa Oundo is Uganda’s High Commissioner to South Africa.
This year’s expo has attracted 1060 exhibitors from 22 African countries and at least 1460 buyers (tour and travel operators) from around the world. Hon. Kamuntu is among the seven African ministers attending the expo which is being covered by over 500 media. UTB is one of the 12 tourism boards promoting their destinations.
Follow us #UgandaIndaba2018, #visituganda, #Indaba2018 #pearlofafrica
The author is a Public Relations Officer at Uganda Tourism Board
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