Tourism Takes Centre Stage at the Pearl of Africa Trade Expo in Malasyia

Malaysia and ASEAN investors attending the Pearl of Africa Trade and tourism expo have expressed a strong desire to explore deeper collaborations with their Ugandan counterparts in the same sector so as to realise the target of over 5000 tourists exchanged by 2026.

Speaker after speaker urged tourism sector players to create partnerships that would unlock new markets through leveraging digital platforms and Artificial intelligence for tourism growth. Tuan Uzaidi Udanis from the Tourism Alliance of Malasyia said “these platforms allow sector players to scale fast while increasing global reach and transforming players into digital entrepreneurs. Let’s focus on promoting each other- because who is better to sell Uganda, than Malaysian tour companies and better placed to sell Uganda to Malaysia than Malaysian operators,” he asked.

According to Uzaidi- tourism need key partners to tap into the new currency of travel which scales up local experiences. “Experiences are what people remember, what they pay for, what they feel. It’s the stories that help to connect people, with tourism connecting hearts.

Earlier, Robert Mukiza of the Uganda Investment Authority addressed the forum and gave highlights of the incentives and opportunities that are available for investment in Uganda. Other speakers included Cathy Wabomba of the Uganda Chamber of Energy, officials from Uganda Tourism board and the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda.

Cultural display:

A rich tapestry of cultural and culinary delights was showcased at the gala dinner with Ugandan dishes served. Ndere troupe gave insights to our rich traditions with a display of dance fusion; the lakaraka dance from the North, Bakisimba from the central and the ekitagurro from Western Uganda-among others. A Malaysian cultural troupe also displayed some of their own, a rich and elegant of martial arts dance to crown the Pearl of Africa Business Forum and Expo 2025 in Malaysia on a high.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.