The hospitality sub-sector employs about 57,000 people with the transport sector accounting for 16,000 jobs, an official of the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU) has said.

The Tourism sector contributes nearly 25% to Uganda’s export earnings. Investment in the sector over the last year has led to a number of new hotels in Jinja, Entebbe and Kampala. Some are still under construction in preparation for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting next year

“This totals to 70,000 employees or 16% of the employees in the country. Secondary and tertiary employment in other sectors providing support services and supplies to the sector add to this,” PSFU’s director for policy advocacy, Gideon Bagadawa, said.

However, Bagadawa said the tourism sector has lagged behind due to lack of incentives unlike neighbouring countries.
“The Government needs to provide more incentives to the sector since it is a strong and growing contributor to the national economy,” he said recently while addressing a trade and investment delegation from Sweden at the Uganda Manufacturers Association Conference Hall at Lugogo, Kampala, recently.

“This is in addition to the safari and lodging facilities upcountry being introduced. This could be the reason why the World Travel and Tourism Council has again put Uganda in the top 10 global tourist growth destinations, with arrival figures over the last three years increasing by 20% every year, to 512,000 in 2005,” Bagadawa said.

Uganda tourism news