Tuku Afrika to promote sports tourism on the continent

Tuku Afrika an African initiative that seeks to promote African solidarity through sport, games and tourism launched in the country, at Serena Hotel on Tuesday.

Uganda Tourism Board executive director Stephen Asiimwe launched the organisation which aims at becoming the best sport and fitness destination event organiser in Africa, providing unique interaction between activity, people and place.

Retired Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete Haile Gebrselassie will facilitate two Ugandan elite athletes to participate in the Great Ethiopian Run slated for November 26 in Addis Ababa, following a partnership with the organisation.

Sandra Adong Oder the founder and director of Tuku Africa, a sports tourism initiative revealed the development during the launch of the organisation at Serena Hotel on Tuesday.

The launch was attended by Uganda Tourism Board executive director Stephen Asiimwe, acting director tourism and business services Stephen Masaba, Uganda Tourism Association president Boniface Byamukama and Trans-Nile Tours' coordinator Jacob Onama among other guests.

Working in conjunction with Trans-Nile Tours and Travel, the Great Ethiopian Run will be their first activity where a number of Ugandans and Kenyans are expected to participate in a 10km run following the launch.

She said the run will preceded by a three-day sports clinic conducted by a high altitude trainer on November 22-24 before the run on Sunday.

The whole package to the event includes a return air ticket, 6 nights' accommodation, sports clinic fee and a dinner with Gebrselassie after, upon payment of $1500 (sh5.2m).

"We will have many events in the coming months and since we now have the government backing through the Uganda Tourism Board we will be doing more with them," Adong said.

"In recent year's sports tourism is beginning to make a mark in the region with significant growth in the numbers participating in big events. Tuku Afrika was thus formed to address the gap and it will continue to engage with national, regional and continental bodies to promote sports tourism, where an end product is an African who is well connected and well-networked," Adong stated.

UTB's Asiimwe congratulated Tuku Afrika for introducing a concept that they have been trying to ride with as the tourism sector.

"Sports tourism is the world's leading concept as far as tourism is concerned as it brings in trillion of dollars so I would like to encourage and promise support towards this initiative," Asiimwe promised.