POATE 2026 launched with commitment to sustainable economic recovery

 

KAMPALA - Uganda's signature tourism and business-to-business (B2B) marketing event, the Pearl Of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE), has been launched.

The event, scheduled for May 21-23, 2026, was launched on November 14, 2025, at Sheraton hotel in Kampala by tourism minister Tom Butime.

Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) chief executive officer Juliana Kagwa said the early launch aims at courting high-ranking hosted buyers in a timely manner.

"We've already started courting different destinations to get their top-tier buyers; otherwise, when we delay, we end up getting low-tier tour operators," she noted, adding that for the 2026 edition, UTB and the national organising committee are placing deliberate focus on commercial engagement, business-to-business connection, sustainability, digital innovation, and regional integration. 

"We anticipate over 500 exhibitors and buyers, 1,000 delegates and an estimated 3,000 visitors, yet what matters most is the impact these interactions will generate long after the expo ends," Kagwa said. 

Butime described POATE as Uganda's flagship tourism and business platform that continues to position the country as the heart of Africa's travel story.

According to Butime, the theme beautifully captures what defines every traveller's irresistible desire to explore, connect, and be transformed by new experiences. 

"Over the years, POATE has grown beyond being an exhibition and has become a meeting point of ideas, innovation, and investment," Butime expressed.

"It brings together our local enterprises, regional partners, and international buyers, all united by a single goal to make Uganda visible, competitive, and irresistible on the global tourism map. Through this platform, we tell our story and remind the world that Uganda is not just a destination to visit but an experience to feel and remember," he added.

According to Butime, the Government remains committed to supporting the tourism sector through investment in infrastructure, connectivity, marketing, and capacity-building. To this, Juliana Kagwa revealed that the Government's investment in tourism has grown to 250% compared to the previous years. 

"Therefore, we are going to demonstrate to the world that Uganda is more than just wildlife. We are more than landscapes and terrain. We are also about culture, heritage, culinary, and people, among others," Kagwa said.

Culinary exhibition

The UTB chief thus stated that next year's POATE is about commerce, assuring members of the private sector to come prepared to sell packages and experiences, as well as the tour operators to come prepared to get bookings. She intimated that the POATE organisers have secured some concessions from the venue proprietors to accord exhibitors two extra days during the POATE week.

"Implying, exhibitors will be allowed to set up a day earlier and also exit a day after (the event is done). They have also allowed us to have a food exhibition on the last day of POATE, which will allow different people who are certified in culinary services to exhibit their products and services. But most importantly, such exhibitors need to be certified by the relevant government bodies," Kagwa stated.

Poate Launch Pearl Hoareau Kakooza (L), the UTB board chairperson, Tom Butime (C), the minister for tourism, and Juliana Kagwa, the UTB chief executive officer, during the launch of 2026 POATE at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

UTB board chairperson Pearl Hoareau Kakooza pointed out agriculture and tourism as being among the pillars earmarked by the Government to drive Uganda's economy during the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV). 

"It is, therefore, a double score if we combine the two strong pillars and market them at ago, as agrotourism," she said. 

Private sector

Issa Kato, the vice-president of the Uganda Tourism Association (UTA), said the theme (Wanderlust) speaks to Uganda's rare beauty, which includes landscapes that read like poetry, cultures that speak to identity, and experiences that stay long after the journey. 
"Our task is to convert inspiration into investment, curiosity into contracts, and interest into market share," he urged.

On behalf of UTA, Kato expressed commitment to elevating service quality, strengthening capacity across all associations, and ensuring that every visitor who follows Uganda encounters excellence at every step. 

"Therefore, let the 2026 POATE be the moment when Uganda not only inspires the world but also secures its rightful place as a high-impactful tourism destination. This is a place where Wanderlust becomes a journey and a journey becomes money," he said.
Infrastructure development

Butime lauded all the sector players for their tireless efforts that saw Uganda win a tourism award in Switzerland recently and Bwindi National Park being ranked in the global third position as the best adventure destination in the world during the recently-concluded TOURISE Global Tourism Awards held in Saudi Arabia. 

He also acknowledged the challenge of poor tourism roads in some parts of Uganda, notably, around Bwindi national park, but assured the government's efforts (through the ministry of works and transport) to tarmac the roads for a seamless visitor experience.