KAMPALA — Government has set a target of raising Uganda’s annual tourism receipts to Shs18 trillion by 2030, Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has said.
The target, equivalent to about $5 billion, would require the country to attract more international visitors while encouraging longer stays and higher spending, Mr Musasizi said.
He made the remarks on Wednesday while officiating at the fourth Annual Tourism Development Programme Review Conference at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
“Achieving this target will require not only increasing visitor numbers but also increasing the length of stay and attracting high-value visitors,” Mr Musasizi said.
The target comes as Uganda’s tourism sector records growth in visitor numbers and earnings.
According to the Tourism Development Programme Annual Performance Report for the 2025/26 financial year, Uganda received 1.64 million international tourists in 2025, up from 1.37 million in 2024.
Tourism receipts increased by 21.3 per cent to Shs5.83 trillion, equivalent to about $1.62 billion. The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities also puts the 2025 international arrivals at 1,642,215.
The average length of stay rose marginally from 8.7 nights in 2024 to 8.8 nights in 2025, while average expenditure per tourist increased from $933 to $986.
Private sector investment
Mr Musasizi said Government must create an enabling environment for private-sector investment in tourism facilities, improve service standards and attract foreign direct investment through partnerships and joint ventures.
He called for stronger public-private partnerships to develop opportunities in hotels and conference facilities, ecotourism, cultural and heritage tourism, faith-based tourism, agro-tourism, sports, wellness, adventure, creative and entertainment tourism.
“Government must deliberately create an environment where the private sector can invest, expand facilities, improve standards and attract foreign direct investment through partnerships and joint ventures,” he said.
The Finance Minister said Government would continue investing in tourism infrastructure, destination marketing, product development, conservation, specialised skills and digital transformation.
He also pointed to affordable financing, fiscal incentives and economic and commercial diplomacy as measures that could help attract investment and promote Uganda in international markets.
According to the Tourism Satellite Account, the tourism sector directly supports 876,512 jobs, representing 7.5 per cent of total employment.
“Tourism is a source of high economic growth, earns the country significant foreign exchange, creates jobs for Ugandans, redistributes income to rural areas, and gives us a compelling reason to protect our nature,” Mr Musasizi said.
Infrastructure and marketing
State Minister for Tourism Susan Nakawuki said Government’s investment in tourism marketing, infrastructure development and product diversification was beginning to produce results.
She said the country had improved its tourism infrastructure, including the construction of more than 280 kilometres of tourism roads and expansion of Entebbe International Airport.
Ms Nakawuki also cited the development of Kabalega International Airport and commencement of Kidepo International Airport as part of efforts to improve access to tourism destinations.
“Government’s efforts in tourism marketing, infrastructure development and product diversification are beginning to yield results, but we must do more to position Uganda competitively on the international tourism market,” she said.
She called for increased investment in tourism infrastructure, stronger destination marketing, faster development of new tourism products and improved skills among people working in the sector.
Ms Nakawuki also stressed the need to protect Uganda’s cultural and natural heritage as the country seeks to expand tourism.
Closing the revenue gap
The Shs18 trillion target would represent more than three times the Shs5.83 trillion in tourism receipts recorded in 2025.
Mr Musasizi said achieving it would require stakeholders to deliberately discover, develop, package, market and sustainably manage Uganda’s tourism assets.
The Government’s strategy is to increase the value generated by each visitor, rather than relying solely on higher visitor numbers.
The Ministry has previously reported that tourism has recovered strongly from the Covid-19 downturn, with 2025 arrivals surpassing the 2019 benchmark.
Mr Musasizi said the sector’s growth should translate into more jobs, foreign exchange earnings and improved livelihoods for communities across the country.