Gulu, Uganda | URN | Uganda’s tourism promotion is increasingly moving beyond gorilla trekking and wildlife safaris, with the Ugandan Embassy in Paris now showcasing the country’s culture, food, people, and heritage to attract more visitors from Europe.
The campaign has seen Uganda ‘s Embassy in Paris partnering with TANKE Creative Influence Agency to bring a select group of European media influencers and culinary storytellers to Uganda on a Familiarization Trip in Northern Uganda.
The culinary and cultural expedition is part of the Embassy’s strategic tourism promotion campaign aimed at positioning Uganda as a preferred destination for European travellers through immersive storytelling, gastronomy, culture, wildlife, and authentic community experiences.
Uganda’s Ambassador to France, Doreen Amule, says the initiative is intended to help foreigners experience the real Uganda beyond what they see in travel brochures, explaining that Uganda’s tourism potential lies not only in its wildlife but also in its people, climate, culture and authentic way of life.
The ambassador noted that many Europeans are fascinated by Uganda’s warm weather, organic foods and the hospitality of its people. “One of the biggest assets that Uganda has, leave alone the environment, the animals and the weather, are the people themselves,” she said.
As part of the campaign, the visitors toured areas around Lake Victoria, sampled Uganda’s famous street food “Rolex,” before proceeding to Lango sub region where they visited local markets and participated in traditional cultural activities.
Amule said introducing tourists to Northern Uganda was a deliberate effort to diversify tourism beyond the country’s traditional attractions.
“I am Ugandan, a child of Lango and I am proud to introduce who Lango and how Lango behaves to the world so that we can bring a mixture of all cultures that sells Uganda as a whole, not as part and I’m so happy that my people of Lango are very receptive, very hard working and very friendly.”
The embassy’s tourism drive is already producing results. According to Amule, tourist arrivals from France have exceeded expectations since the campaign began in 2024.
She added that tourism remains one of the fastest ways of generating foreign exchange, creating jobs and supporting infrastructure development.
“Tourism is one part that we are putting a lot more effort into because it helps us build infrastructure, schools, hospitals and creates job opportunities.”
Meanwhile, Spanish tourism promoter and Director TANKE Creative Influence Agency Ertan Anadol said Uganda possesses far more tourism products than many international travellers realize.
According to Anadol, the current campaign focuses on gastronomy and cultural tourism, sectors that are increasingly attracting global travellers.
He said the content generated during the trip is expected to reach millions of viewers across Europe through social media platforms, emphasizing that social media has become one of the most powerful tools for tourism marketing, urging Ugandans to actively tell positive stories about their country online.
“Everybody can contribute to share about the country and the nice things that are here. Create the stories that can be told because that is how people today get their information.”
The tourism promoter also challenged Ugandans to maintain clean environments and preserve the country’s natural beauty to strengthen its appeal as a tourism destination.
“Uganda is already a very good example because people are taking care of nature and wildlife. Continue doing it and do it even better.”
For both the embassy and its international partners, the message is clear: Uganda’s future tourism growth will not only depend on wildlife and national parks, but also on the stories, cultures, cuisines and communities that make the Pearl of Africa unique.
“I find people are very welcoming. When I bring visitors here, they feel good. People are happy, friendly and make you feel at home. That is what is great and it should continue,” says Ertan.
Uganda’s tourism sector continues to register strong recovery and growth. According to recent government figures, tourism earnings rose to approximately 6.1 trillion shillings (USD 1.7 billion) in 2025, while international tourist arrivals increased to about 1.65 million visitors.
Tourism remains one of Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earners, contributing significantly to employment and economic transformation: contributing nearly 6 percent to Uganda’s GDP and supports more than 876,000 jobs across the country.
Tourism has also been identified by the Government of Uganda as one of the key strategic sectors expected to drive the country’s ambitious tenfold economic growth agenda over the next 15 years.
