LUCAS MUSISI
In 2024, Bangladesh emerged as a significant overseas market for Uganda’s tourism industry, according to the MTWA Statistical Abstract released by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities. Moving up from the 7th position in 2022, Bangladesh claimed the top spot among the top ten potential tourism overseas markets for Uganda in 2023.
Other countries like Australia and Belgium maintained their rankings in both 2022 and 2023.
“Australia, and Belgium retained the same positions in both years. Nepal and South Korea rose in their rankings in 2023 when compared with 2022 while Italy, Turkey, Denmark and Sweden fell,” according to the report.
Nepal and South Korea ascended in their positions compared to 2022, while Italy, Turkey, Denmark, and Sweden experienced a decline in their rankings. Despite a drop from the first to the fourth position, Italy saw an increase in tourist arrivals and a slight rise in its market share to 1.5 percent. Notably, Nepal made a significant leap from 9th to 5th place, with its market share increasing to 1.2 percent.
“Italy dropped from the first position in 2022 to the fourth in 2023, despite an increase in arrivals from 1,355 to 1,850, and its market share slightly increased to 1.5. Nepal climbed significantly from the 9th position to the 5th, with arrivals growing from 821 to 1,521, thus increasing its market share to 1.2%.”
Russia marked its entry into the top ten overseas markets in 2023, ranking at the 8th position and replacing Switzerland. This shift indicates growing international interest and potential for enhanced tourism engagement with these markets. Bangladesh’s ascent to the top and Russia’s emergence in the top 10 underscore dynamic changes in Uganda’s tourism landscape.
In the African context, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan continued to dominate as Uganda’s largest markets, collectively accounting for 80% of all African arrivals in 2023. They retained their respective first three positions over both years. Conversely, Tanzania’s ranking dropped despite an increase in arrivals, and Burundi rose significantly from sixth to fourth, doubling its arrivals and increasing its market share to 4%.
Eritrea and DR Congo maintained their fifth and seventh positions, respectively, across both years. New entrants to the top 10 African markets in 2023 included Zambia (8th), Zimbabwe (10th), and Sudan (9th), replacing Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa. These shifts highlight the evolving nature of Uganda’s tourism source markets on the continent.