UGANDA PARTICIPATES IN AFRICA’S TRAVEL INDABA 2025 TO SHOWCASE TOURISM POTENTIAL AND FOSTER REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.

Durban, South Africa May 12th 2025 – Today marked the official opening of the 41st edition of Africa’s Travel Indaba with the Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.

This year's edition is held under the theme “Unlimited Africa,”. This premium continental event has brought together a dynamic mix of tourism professionals, exhibitors, buyers and media from across Africa and beyond.

Uganda has been represented by a high-level delegation led by Mrs. Doreen Silver Katusiime, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. The delegation includes representatives from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), and 17 private tour and travel companies.

Uganda’s participation at the Indaba underlines the country's growing commitment to positioning itself as a premier tourism and investment destination. The delegation aims to enhance Destination Uganda’s visibility, attract tourism-related investment, create regional and continental partnerships, and benchmark international best practices, with a particular focus on promoting cultural and water-based tourism.

A major highlight from the BONDay opening session was a thought-provoking keynote address by Professor Gregory Davids, Chairperson of the Board of South African Tourism. He spoke passionately about the transformative power of tourism, noting its potential to drive social cohesion when rooted in responsible and community-centered practices.

“Tourism brings people across borders to share experiences, and these experiences foster the kind of bonds that unite societies,” said Professor Davids. “We must shift toward a tourism agenda that is inclusive, innovative, and driven by purpose and curiosity, one that focuses on what is going right before dwelling on what is going wrong.”

The 2025 edition of Africa’s Travel Indaba is expected to set the tone for renewed intra-African collaboration and inspire new strategies for sustainable and inclusive tourism growth across the continent.