Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has criticized the Ugandan government for neglecting the tourism sector despite its significant contribution to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Speaking at the Ekkula Sustainable Tourism Awards 2024 in Kampala, Tayebwa expressed frustration over the sector’s underfunding, calling it a missed opportunity for economic transformation.

“Tourism remains one of our top foreign exchange earners, yet it continues to be allocated a fraction of the resources it deserves,” Tayebwa remarked. “We are losing out on immense potential because we have not invested adequately in this sector.”

Tayebwa revealed that the tourism industry brought in $1.4 billion last year, making it a cornerstone of Uganda’s economy. However, he lamented the lack of government support to propel the industry to greater heights, citing limited marketing, poor infrastructure, and inadequate capacity building as major hurdles.

“It’s astonishing how much the sector achieves with so little,” Tayebwa noted. “The private sector is doing the heavy lifting, promoting Uganda’s beauty globally. But without government stepping up its game, we can’t expect to compete with other tourism giants.”

In a bold statement, Tayebwa called for an overhaul of the government’s priorities, urging increased funding for tourism in the upcoming financial year.