Ugandan tourism institutions and businesses have engaged Australian travel partners in Brisbane in an effort to attract more visitors, secure investment and expand market access for local tourism enterprises.
The business-to-business meetings, held at the Brisbane Convention Centre, brought together more than 30 businesses and representatives from the Uganda High Commission, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and travel agencies to explore partnerships and develop travel packages for Australian tourists.
Uganda’s High Commissioner to Australia, Dorothy Samali Hyuha, said the engagements were intended to turn the country’s tourism appeal into actual bookings, investment and lasting commercial relationships.
“Uganda offers Australian travellers the depth, range and variety of Africa in one unique destination. Our task in Brisbane is to connect that promise with businesses that can bring travellers to Uganda,” Hyuha said.
She described the meetings as an opportunity to apply economic diplomacy by linking Ugandan tourism operators with international partners who can help them access new markets.
“These B2B meetings put economic diplomacy into practice. By connecting Ugandan tourism businesses with Australian partners, we create pathways for bookings, investment and lasting commercial relationships,” she said.
The discussions focused on promoting Uganda’s wildlife, landscapes, culture and adventure experiences while helping operators turn international interest into bookable itineraries.
Francis Nyende said Uganda’s diverse tourism products could allow Australian travel businesses to develop packages combining wildlife, cultural encounters, food and adventure.
“Brisbane provides a platform to understand what Australian travellers want and build partnerships that translate Uganda’s attractions into compelling, bookable itineraries,” Nyende said.
He said increased tourism could benefit not only tour operators but also accommodation providers, guides, transport operators and other businesses that serve visitors.
Samantha van Eldik of Adventure World said Uganda’s diversity offered opportunities for Australian travellers seeking experiences that combine wildlife, landscapes and cultural encounters.
“Meeting Ugandan tourism businesses in Brisbane helps us build the relationships and destination knowledge needed to develop itineraries and recommend Uganda with confidence,” van Eldik said.
She said working with local operators was important in matching Uganda’s tourism experiences to travellers’ interests and delivering quality trips.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority also used the meetings to showcase investment opportunities in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, including luxury eco-lodges, wilderness camps, walking safaris and water-based tourism along the Kazinga Channel.
Joseph Muhereza, UWA senior concession officer who represents the agency in tourism promotion and investment outreach such as pitching eco-tourism and conservation-area partnerships internationally, said the conservation area had potential for investors interested in developing distinctive accommodation and adventure experiences.
“Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area offers opportunities to develop quality and ultra-luxury eco-lodges in Ishasha, the North Crater Area and Kigezi Wildlife Reserve. We invite Australian investors to explore that potential with us,” Muhereza said.
He also highlighted opportunities for boat excursions and houseboat operations along the Kazinga Channel, as well as proposed hot-air balloon experiences in Ishasha and ziplining in the North Crater Area and Kyambura Wildlife Reserve.
Muhereza said such investments could diversify Uganda’s tourism offering and create new visitor experiences, subject to responsible development.
UWA representative Penina Babirye said wildlife tourism should be promoted as part of a broader experience encompassing landscapes, communities and culture.
“Responsible tourism partnerships can support conservation while creating livelihoods. We want visitors to leave with lasting memories and communities to benefit from protecting the places that attract them,” Babirye said.
The Brisbane meetings form part of Uganda’s wider efforts to use international partnerships and economic diplomacy to promote tourism, attract private investment and expand opportunities across the sector.
For Ugandan operators, partnerships with Australian travel companies could provide access to new customers and distribution networks, while giving international businesses local contacts to help develop and deliver itineraries.
The engagements therefore focused on more than destination promotion, with participants seeking commercial relationships that could translate interest in Uganda into bookings, investment and sustained business growth.