MINISTRY OF TOURISM EQUIPS MEDIA TO TELL AUTHENTIC, BALANCED STORIES OF DESTINATION UGANDA

Participants and facilitators pose for a group photo during the five-day Northern Uganda study tour, which brought together media and tourism stakeholders to enhance collaboration and storytelling capacity.

The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities recently called on media stakeholders to report tourism with greater accuracy, balance, and optimism during a five-day Northern Uganda study tour and Familiarization trip, linking policy, training, and field experience.

The move was an effort to strengthen collaboration between the tourism sector, the media, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA), together with its agencies, including the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

The engagement brought together a cross-section of junior and senior journalists, reporters, editors, and private-sector tourism stakeholders for an immersive and intensive tourism training and familiarization programme designed to deepen understanding of Uganda’s tourism policy framework, sustainable tourism practices, and destination branding. It also aimed to equip participants with practical storytelling, reporting, and writing skills to communicate Uganda’s diverse tourism experiences more effectively, accurately, and responsibly.

Held in Gulu City and across key tourism sites in Northern Uganda, the initiative reflected a growing recognition within government that the media is not simply an observer of the tourism sector, but a strategic actor in shaping public perception, influencing travel decisions, attracting investment, and strengthening national identity. At a time when Uganda is positioning tourism as one of the pillars of long-term economic transformation, officials said the quality of tourism reporting matters as much as the quality of tourism products themselves.

The programme began at Northern Heights Hotel in Gulu City, where participants took part in intensive capacity-building sessions led by distinguished facilitators, including Mr. Alex Taremwa, Lecturer at Aga Khan University, Ms. Eunice Tworekirwe.K, Principal Communications Officer at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Jane Ajwang, a Communications Specialist, and Dr. Geesa Simplicious, Head of Public Relations at the Uganda Tourism Board.

The training sessions focused on improving tourism reporting and storytelling techniques, crisis communication, ethical journalism, story pitching and proposal development, and understanding Uganda’s tourism policy priorities. Participants also examined how narrative building and destination branding can influence the country’s competitiveness in regional and international tourism markets.

A central message emerged from the sessions: telling Uganda’s tourism story positively does not mean overlooking facts or turning journalism into promotion. Rather, it means reporting with depth, context, fairness and responsibility, highlighting opportunities without ignoring challenges, and presenting destinations, communities and cultural heritage with accuracy, dignity and nuance.

That principle was reinforced through the familiarization component of the trip, which moved participants beyond the conference room and into the rugged terrains, beautiful landscapes, and heritage sites they were expected to cover. Journalists visited Fort Patiko, also known as Baker’s Fort, a historic site associated with British explorer Sir Samuel Baker and the region’s layered colonial and cultural history. They also visited Aruu Waterfalls, one of Northern Uganda’s most striking natural attractions, where rocky cascades and lush vegetation continue to draw increasing interest as the sub-region expands its tourism footprint.

By seeing these places firsthand, media participants were better positioned to tell stories rooted in lived experience rather than assumption. Standing at the edge of Aruu’s roaring falls or walking through the ruins of Fort Patiko, journalists encountered not only scenic beauty and heritage value, but also the realities that shape visitor experience, site management, and destination development.

Facilitators during the training repeatedly emphasized that positive storytelling must be credible to be effective. Accurate, balanced, and well-researched journalism can elevate destinations, build confidence among travellers and investors, and showcase Uganda’s cultural richness. But reporting that is exaggerated, shallow, or disconnected from local realities can undermine trust, distort expectations, and weaken long-term destination credibility.

Speaking during the engagement, the Principal Communications Officer at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, highlighted the government’s commitment to improving tourism infrastructure at key sites in Northern Uganda.

She noted that, for Fort Patiko, the Ministry has already procured a contractor, the South Korean Heritage Centre, to develop interpretation centres at the site, including Dufile and Wedela, as part of a major slave trade trail linking the Sudanic and Anglo-Egyptian civilizations and governance systems. The project is scheduled to commence in 2027.

In addition, the contractor will construct a modern external public water-borne sanitation facility for visitors. Plans are also underway to develop a comprehensive master plan to guide coordinated future development at the site.

She added that the Ministry has set aside an annual maintenance budget to preserve the site’s heritage value and ensure it remains aligned with national tourism standards. According to the Ministry, Fort Patiko is also being supervised by a conservator to protect its status in line with the government’s mandate on the conservation, preservation, protection, and promotion of national cultural heritage. Additional plans for the site include a modern visitor information centre.

For Aruu Waterfalls, Tworekirwe said the Ministry intends to support site development with Shs700 million in the next financial year, a move expected to improve the visitor experience and support the area’s emergence as a stronger tourism destination.

Uganda’s tourism sector continues to market the country under the destination brand identity “Explore Uganda — Pearl of Africa,” drawing on its wildlife, landscapes, and cultural diversity. The Ministry of Tourism also noted that this narrative must be supported by journalism that is credible, contextual, and development-conscious. The call to “tell Uganda’s tourism story positively” is therefore best understood not as a request for uncritical praise, but as an appeal for journalism that is informed, constructive, and nationally relevant.

The study tour comes at a time when tourism is recognized as one of Uganda’s key ATM sectors, alongside Agro-Industrialization, Tourism, Minerals, and Oil & Gas, which are expected to fuel long-term national transformation. Under the Fourth National Development Plan and Uganda Vision 2040, tourism has been assigned an ambitious role in helping elevate Uganda’s economy tenfold to US$500 billion by 2040.

Currently, tourism contributes an estimated US$1.6 billion annually to the economy through foreign exchange earnings, employment creation, cultural preservation, and investment attraction. The government’s long-term ambition is for the sector to grow toward US$50 billion in tourism revenues by 2040.

Government and tourism private sector players acknowledge that this target is bold and will require coordinated investment, innovation, partnerships, infrastructure development, destination management, private-sector growth, and effective international promotion.

The Northern Uganda media engagement served as both a training platform and a strategic shift to positioning destination Uganda. It affirmed that tourism growth is not only about roads, hotels, parks, and heritage sites, but also about narrative, trust, and national confidence. The stories told about Uganda, and the way they are told, can either reinforce the country’s appeal or limit its potential.

The Ministry says it will continue to foster partnerships with the media, private sector, and local communities to ensure tourism development is sustainable, inclusive, and globally competitive.

About the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities

The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) derives its mandate from Article 189 and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995), alongside key legislation including the Uganda Wildlife Act (Cap 200), the Uganda Tourism Act (2008), the Historical Monuments Act (1967), and the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (2006). The Ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing policies, strategies, plans, and programmes that promote tourism, wildlife conservation, and cultural heritage preservation, thereby contributing to Uganda’s socio-economic development and national transformation.

Guided by its vision of sustainable tourism, wildlife, and cultural heritage contributing to the transformation of Ugandan society into a modern and prosperous one, the Ministry works to position Uganda as a preferred tourist destination. Its mission is to develop and promote these resources in a manner that enhances their contribution to the national economy while ensuring their long-term sustainability for future generations.