Uganda’s $5 Billion Tourism Push Hinges on Longer Stays and Bigger Spending

Uganda wants tourists to stay longer and spend more as it pursues $5 billion in annual tourism earnings by 2030. That is more than three times the $1.62 billion earned from international visitors in 2025. Finance Minister Henry Musasizi said increasing arrivals alone would not be enough, according to The Independent Uganda (direct), which carried the URN report.

Musasizi outlined the ambition at the fourth Annual Tourism Development Programme Review Conference in Kampala. The challenge reaches beyond attracting holidaymakers: the government sees tourism as a way to bring in foreign currency, create work and move income into communities outside the main cities. Reaching the target will require a broader choice of experiences and conditions that encourage businesses to build accommodation, conference venues and other visitor facilities, he said.

More visitors, but only slightly longer stays

Uganda welcomed 1.64 million international tourists in 2025, compared with 1.37 million in 2024, according to the Tourism Development Programme Annual Performance Report for the 2025/26 financial year. Tourism earnings rose 21.3% to 5.83 trillion shillings, or about $1.62 billion. The report attributed that growth to higher spending by visitors and longer stays, providing a stronger starting point for the government’s expansion plans.

Yet the change in the time visitors spent in Uganda was small. The average stay edged up from 8.7 nights in 2024 to 8.8 nights in 2025, while average spending per tourist increased from $933 to $986. Those figures underline the task ahead: the government wants a substantial jump in total earnings, with travellers who spend more and remain in the country longer playing a central role.

Musasizi said tourism’s value extends beyond foreign currency earnings to jobs, rural incomes and an incentive to protect nature.

Turning attractions into investment

Musasizi called for closer cooperation between government and private businesses to turn a wider range of attractions into viable investments. He identified nature-based travel, culture and heritage, religious tourism and farm visits, alongside sport, wellness, adventure and entertainment. The aim is to develop, package and market more of Uganda’s tourism assets while keeping the sector sustainable and ensuring that host communities benefit.

The government plans to continue spending on tourism infrastructure, destination marketing, conservation, workforce skills and digital development, Musasizi said. He also pointed to affordable finance, tax incentives and economic and commercial diplomacy as ways to draw investment and promote Uganda abroad. The employment stakes are significant: tourism directly supports 876,512 jobs, equivalent to 7.5% of total employment, according to the Tourism Satellite Account.

State Minister for Tourism Susan Nakawuki said marketing, infrastructure work and a broader range of products were helping Uganda gain international visibility. She cited cooperation with diplomatic missions and local governments, construction of more than 280 kilometres of tourism roads, expansion of Entebbe International Airport, development of Kabalega International Airport and the start of Kidepo International Airport.

The next test is turning those efforts into higher visitor spending and wider local gains. Nakawuki called for more infrastructure investment, stronger promotion, faster development of tourism products and better workforce skills. Both ministers said growth should deliver more jobs, more foreign currency and greater benefits for communities hosting Uganda’s attractions.