KAMPALA — Speke Resort Convention Centre in Munyonyo has been named Uganda’s Leading Conference Hotel 2026 at the World Travel Awards, adding to the facility’s growing recognition in the country’s meetings and business tourism sector.
The award comes as Uganda seeks to strengthen its position as a destination for international conferences, corporate meetings, exhibitions and other business events.
The Munyonyo-based resort combines conference facilities with hotel accommodation, offering a venue for events that bring together local and international delegates.
The recognition also adds to the resort’s list of recent industry awards. Earlier this year, Speke Resort was named World’s Best Luxury Convention Resort at the Luxe Global Awards.
Conference and business tourism is considered an important segment of the wider tourism industry because delegates can generate spending beyond conference venues through accommodation, transport, restaurants, shopping and visits to tourist attractions.
Uganda has in recent years invested in expanding its capacity to host large meetings and international events, with the sector forming part of efforts to diversify tourism beyond traditional leisure travel.
Facilities such as Speke Resort Convention Centre are part of the private-sector infrastructure supporting that growth, particularly in Kampala and surrounding areas.
The World Travel Awards recognition comes amid growing competition among destinations in East Africa seeking to attract international meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
For Uganda, attracting more such events could provide additional business for hotels, airlines, tour operators, restaurants and other enterprises that serve visitors.
The award also provides the resort with additional international visibility as it seeks to compete for conferences and corporate events in the regional market.
However, the growth of conference tourism depends not only on individual venues but also on the wider tourism ecosystem, including air connectivity, accommodation, transport, visitor attractions and the ability to host events efficiently.
With its conference facilities and accommodation capacity, Speke Resort Convention Centre remains one of the private-sector facilities participating in Uganda’s efforts to develop the MICE segment and attract higher-value business travellers.