Uganda has secured another international recognition in the competitive business-events market after Speke Resort Munyonyo was named Best Luxury MICE Resort Globally at the 2026 Luxe Global Awards.
The award places the Kampala-based resort among international destinations recognised for their ability to host Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), a segment that combines business travel, accommodation, hospitality and major events.
The recognition also comes as Uganda seeks to strengthen its position as a destination for international conferences and business tourism, which can generate spending on accommodation, transport, restaurants and other services.
Located on the shores of Lake Victoria in Munyonyo, Kampala, Speke Resort has become one of the country’s major venues for conferences, corporate meetings, diplomatic engagements, exhibitions and other large gatherings.
Recognition for Uganda’s hospitality sector
The Luxe Global Awards recognition highlights the resort’s facilities and capacity to serve the international MICE market.
The resort announced the award in a statement thanking its guests, partners and supporters for their contribution to its continued growth.
The latest accolade adds to Uganda’s growing list of international tourism and hospitality recognitions and provides further visibility for the country’s capacity to host high-profile business and social events.
For the hospitality industry, such recognition can help raise awareness of Uganda as a destination for travellers who combine business with leisure.
MICE tourism
MICE tourism has become an important component of the global hospitality industry because conference and business travellers often spend on accommodation, meals, transport, entertainment and other services.
Unlike conventional leisure tourism, business-events visitors may travel specifically to attend conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings or incentive programmes.
This makes conference facilities an important part of the tourism infrastructure required to attract international events.
Speke Resort’s lakeside location, accommodation facilities, conference spaces and leisure amenities allow it to serve both business and leisure customers.
A venue for major events
Over the years, the resort has hosted conferences, corporate functions, diplomatic engagements, exhibitions and other gatherings involving local and international participants.
Its location in Munyonyo also places it within Kampala while offering visitors access to the Lake Victoria waterfront.
The combination of accommodation, meeting facilities and leisure activities allows event organisers to host several aspects of an event at one location.
For international conferences, such facilities can be important because organisers often look for venues capable of accommodating delegates, meetings, meals and other activities under one roof.
Boost for Uganda’s tourism ambitions
The award comes as Uganda continues to promote tourism beyond traditional wildlife attractions.
The country’s tourism offering includes national parks, mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, cultural experiences and adventure activities, but business and conference tourism provides another avenue for attracting international visitors.
A conference delegate may require accommodation for several nights and spend on transport, meals and other services, creating opportunities for businesses beyond the conference venue.
The growth of MICE tourism can therefore contribute to employment and revenue across the wider hospitality and services sectors.
International visibility
For Speke Resort, the latest recognition provides an opportunity to strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive international hospitality market.
For Uganda, it offers another platform to showcase the country’s capacity to host major international meetings and events.
The challenge for the industry will be to convert such international recognition into more conferences, exhibitions and business travellers visiting the country.
The Best Luxury MICE Resort Globally award nevertheless gives Uganda’s hospitality sector another international platform and adds to the country’s efforts to build a stronger presence in the global business-events market.