UGANDA TO HOST CANADIAN TOUR OPERATORS FOR A STRATEGIC FAMILIARIZATION TOUR
- Sserunkuuma Lutalo
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities has endorsed plans to host a high-level
familiarization (FAM) visit for Canadian tour operators, travel agents and media influencers in April
2026, as part of efforts to deepen Uganda’s footprint in the North American tourism market.
The decision was reached during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Ministry of Tourism
headquarters, chaired by the Commissioner Tourism Development Vivian Lyazi and attended by
representatives from the Tourism Development Department, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA),
Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), the Association of Uganda
Tour Operators (AUTO) and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). Uganda’s
Ambassador to Canada, H.E. Allan Kajik, presented the proposal which was formally adopted, with
preparatory activities now underway.
Presenting the market outlook, Assistant Commissioner Tourism Development at the Ministry of
Tourism, Jimmy Andrew Kigozi noted, that the Uganda High Commission in Ottawa - Canada has
increasingly prioritized tourism, underscoring the need for Uganda to strategically capitalize on this
momentum. He added that the Canadian delegation is likely to return in May 2026 for further
benchmarking during the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE).
The fam visit follows successful tourism promotion engagements in Canada, including the
“Roundtable held in December 2025 and the Canada–Uganda Business Forum held in November
2025.
Scheduled for 9th–18th April 2026, the fam visit will showcase Uganda’s flagship attractions, ranging
from wildlife and conservation experiences to culture, culinary, adventure tourism and MICE
products.
The initiative is expected to strengthen bilateral tourism cooperation, visibility, support
development of market-ready tour packages and contribute to increased tourist arrivals from
Canada, while reinforcing Uganda’s destination branding in North America
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