Ministry Of Tourism Extends World Tourism Day Launch to Host City, Mbale.

4 days ago

3 min read

As part of the preparations for the World Tourism Day 2026 celebrations and building on the earlier national launch of the September Month and World Tourism Day activities, the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities took to Mbale City; an on-ground launch of the celebrations.

The launch brought together the leadership and technical staff of Mbale City, security agencies, tourism stakeholders and other key actors within the tourism value chain. The activity provided an opportunity for the Ministry of Tourism and Mbale City to demonstrate their joint commitment to promoting tourism development and positioning Mbale and the wider Elgon sub-region as a key tourism destination.

The engagement was particularly significant in light of the 2026 World Tourism Day theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” which highlights the increasing role of technology, innovation and artificial intelligence in transforming tourism marketing, destination management, visitor information, enterprise development and the overall visitor experience.

Visitors and participants were assured of their safety and security throughout the World Tourism Day celebrations in Mbale City. The involvement of the security agencies demonstrated the commitment of the City leadership and relevant stakeholders to maintaining a safe, secure and welcoming environment for both domestic and international visitors during the celebrations.

The assurance of security is particularly important in promoting Mbale City and the wider Eastern Region as a competitive tourism destination, as visitor confidence is influenced not only by the quality of tourism attractions and services but also by the safety and security of the destination.

The engagement further reinforced the Ministry’s decentralisation agenda for tourism development, through which Local Government is increasingly being supported to identify, develop, profile and promote tourism products within their respective jurisdictions.

Mbale City was recognised as an important tourism and commercial hub for the Elgon sub-region, with potential to serve as a gateway to several tourism attractions and experiences in Eastern Uganda. Strengthening the City’s tourism planning, infrastructure, destination management, security and investment environment will therefore be important in unlocking its tourism potential.

The engagement also highlighted the importance of continued collaboration between the Ministry, Local Governments, the private sector and other stakeholders in developing and promoting tourism products within the region. Such collaboration is essential for creating employment, stimulating local investment and ensuring that tourism contributes to local economic development.

The launch also provided an opportunity to mobilise stakeholders and create awareness about the forthcoming World Tourism Day celebrations, thematic conference and schools competitions in Mbale. The conference is expected to bring together public and private sector actors, Local Government, security agencies, academia, development partners, tourism enterprises, technology and innovation actors and other stakeholders to explore how digitalisation and artificial intelligence can be harnessed to redesign Uganda’s tourism sector.

The Ministry appreciated the leadership of Mbale City for hosting and supporting the launch and for demonstrating commitment to tourism development. The involvement of the city leadership, security agencies and other stakeholders provided a strong foundation for the successful implementation of the forthcoming World Tourism Day activities.

Overall, the launch marked an important step in building momentum for the September Month and World Tourism Day celebrations, while strengthening collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Mbale City, security agencies and tourism stakeholders. The partnership is expected to continue beyond the celebrations, with emphasis on tourism product development, destination promotion, digital innovation, investment, visitor safety and security and sustainable tourism development in Mbale City and the wider Eastern Region.