By Frank Kamuntu
The Speke Resort Convention Centre which hosted the NAM and China G-77 Summits early this year is set to yet again host Uganda’s biggest tourism expo which starts in Kampala next week.
The Annual Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2024 under the theme “Responsible Tourism” will take place at the newly opened Speke Resort Convention Centre Munyonyo in the heart of Kampala from 23rd to 25th May 2024.
According to Uganda Tourism Board CEO, Ms Lilly Ajarova, this year’s expo has been oversubscribed with five days left, which opens Uganda’s gateway to both international tourism and exposure.
“Five days before the expo, we are having internationals who are coming in to tour the country, it gives them first-hand experience of what Uganda has to offer,” she said while addressing the media at Speke Resort and Convention Centre on Friday, May 17.
About the Expo
POATE is an annual tourism and travel trade show that is organised by the Uganda Tourism Board. Each year, the expo brings together tourism value chain actors and stakeholders under the Business-to-business and Business-to-consumer formats, for networking opportunities, and business deals.
Now in its eighth edition, the Expo is expected to open Uganda’s doors to over 70 hosted buyers, over 5,000 trade visitors and consumers with both Leisure and MICE tourism blending seamlessly in a direction skewed towards global emerging trends.
Last year’s (2023) event saw over 100 hosted buyers in attendance, from South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Spain, among others.
The 2024 Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo is proudly organized and sponsored by the Uganda Tourism Board, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL – who injected in shs100m to support the preparations), Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), Skills Excell, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), among others.
