POATE 2026 DRAWS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS ON DAY 2 AS BUSINESS TAKES CENTER STAGE.

Kampala, 23 May, 2026. The 10th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE 2026) shifted to a high gear on its second day as thousands of expo goers, exhibitors, investors and international buyers converged at Speke Resort Munyonyo for an intensive day of deal-making, strategic dialogue and sector-focused programming. With over four thousand attendees filling the exhibition halls, Day Two signalled a clear pivot from ceremony to commerce.

The day’s centre piece was an ambitious schedule of structured Business to Business meetings, bringing together more than 350 Ugandan exhibitors and 120 hosted buyers representing 40 countries. The priority markets for this year’s engagement included Turkey, Egypt, China and Canada, all identified as key growth corridors for 2026 and beyond.

The sheer scale of the meetings underscored POATE’s evolution from a national showcase into a serious international trade platform. Running parallel to the B2B sessions, four dedicated conference tracks brought together industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to tackle some of tourism’s most pressing opportunities. Such include Film in Tourism, which examined how Uganda’s growing profile as a film location can be leveraged for destination marketing, with case studies drawn from recent international productions shot in the country.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Doreen S. Katusiime(Mrs) said the Day Two discussions themed “Invest in Tourism” were intentionally curated to help Uganda better understand emerging source markets, strengthen tourism product development, and deepen sustainability within the sector.

PS Katusiime noted that understanding where modern wanderlust begins is critical in positioning Uganda competitively, adding that today’s travellers are increasingly drawn to authentic, experience-driven destinations. She emphasized the need for Uganda to move “from idea to itinerary” by designing tourism experiences and products that are market-ready, culturally rich, environmentally sustainable, and capable of converting global interest into actual travel decisions.

Additional sessions throughout the day explored untapped investment opportunities, sustainability in tourism product development, and the incentives available to prospective investors, complemented by vibrant cultural performances that gave attendees a direct taste of Uganda’s rich heritage.

Addressing delegates, Juliana Kagwa, Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Tourism Board, made a rallying call for the

industry to take deliberate and collective responsibility for how Uganda presents itself to the world. “Uganda is richly endowed, but our story is still under-told. We must take ownership of telling it ourselves because no one else will do it for us,” she said. Kagwa placed the expo firmly within Uganda’s broader ambitions, arguing that visibility, searchability, and competitiveness are prerequisites for the country to claim its rightful place among the world’s top tourism destinations and advance the goals of Vision 2040.

She also highlighted what makes this year’s edition particularly significant. “This expo is special because it has introduced new segments, film has been added to the showcase and so has food. Food matters deeply to us as Ugandans. We have over 50 tribes, each with a distinct culture, distinct cuisine, and a distinct way of life. We are genuinely diversifying how the world sees us. Over these ten years, we are proud that Ugandans have consistently shown up to champion their own tourism, and that foundation only grows stronger.”

POATE 2026 is designed to transform international attention into confirmed visitor arrivals and tangible investment commitments. With one day of meetings remaining, UTB projects that total B2B engagements will surpass 5,000 by the close of the Expo.