The 1st Uganda Tourism Roadshow in Mauritius organized by the Uganda High Commission Dar-Es-Salaam, kicked off this morning October 3rd 2025 at the Hennessy Park Hotel in the coastal Capital City, Port Louis.
During the two day event, organized under the Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy program will facilitate exploring of strategies for mutual market diversification, aiming to attract affluent Mauritian travelers to Uganda through unique experiences such as gorilla trekking and adventure tourism. The goals include forming an institutional partnership, promoting Uganda as a leisure destination, and organizing tourism roadshows in Mauritius. Key pillars of the initiative included a mini-expo to display Uganda’s attractions to Mauritian travel agents and a familiarization trip for Mauritian operators to experience Uganda’s tourism firsthand.
The Uganda Delegation to Mauritius was led by Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Mugarra accompanied by Uganda High Commissioner to Mauritius (non-resident) Col (rtd) Fred Mwesigye as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Uganda Tourism Board.
Dubbed “From Paradise to The Pearl”, the event that was graced by officials from the Mauritian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mauritian Tourism and Wildlife Board and Luxury Tour agents selling Mauritius, is intended to enhance cooperation between the tourism sectors of both countries by establishing a bilateral cooperation framework, leveraging their complementary offerings. Uganda features rich biodiversity and adventure tourism, while Mauritius is recognized for luxury beach resorts.
The roadshow was designed not only to inform but to immerse Mauritian Tour operators in Uganda’s story by awakening all five senses. Set in a room decorated to reflect sustainable tropical tourism, and through cutting-edge Virtual Reality, the guests were given opportunities to see and hear the Murchison Falls, the River Nile, and the mountain gorilla in its natural habitat in Bwindi. In line with the famous Ugandan hospitality, they were treated to a taste of Ugandan coffee and the famous Ugandan “rolex” “The aroma of our organic products, the feel of our rich crafts and cultural artifacts, and the rhythms of Ugandan music and dance will transport you to the Pearl of Africa without ever leaving Mauritius”, promised Amb. Mwesigye.
In his opening remarks, Amb. Mwesigye said that both countries are renowned for their natural beauty and diverse tourism offerings, with both standing to benefit significantly from a structured bilateral tourism cooperation framework. “While Mauritius is globally known for its luxury beach resorts and marine activities, Uganda boasts rich biodiversity, adventure experiences, cultural tourism, and unique attractions such as the endangered mountain gorillas and the source of the River Nile” he said.
Minister of State for Tourism, Hon Martin Mugarra said that Uganda wasn’t just a destination market for Mauritius, the reverse was also true given that Ugandans like to travel and spend when they do. “Before covid over 1000 Ugandans were visiting Mauritius annually, the number has now dropped to around 300 and most have shifted to other destinations like Mombasa. We can work together to regrow these numbers,” he said. Hon. Mugarra commended the High Commission for its initiative and expressed satisfaction with Mauritius’ commitment to strengthen the partnership between both countries. “This collaboration is deemed essential due to the complementary nature of both our countries’ tourism offerings—Mauritius with its beaches and Uganda with its safaris” he said. He urged for increased interaction among tour operators and invited Mauritians to invest in Uganda’s tourism sector, highlighting various incentives for potential investors. Lastly, Uganda’s export capabilities, particularly in products such as milk and coffee, were noted as areas for further discussion in the Mauritian market.
Mr. Avihash Teelock, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, said the event marked a significant opportunity for collaboration between Mauritius, known as a Paradise Island, and Uganda, referred to as the Pearl of Africa. He described the partnership as having the potential to create a highly marketable tourism product. Recognizing air connectivity as a vital foundation for tourism development, Amb. Sook suggested the establishment of direct flights between the two nations, drawing on Nairobi’s successful example. Additionally, the importance of sustainable tourism was emphasized, highlighting the need for private sector engagement through business-to-business partnerships to realize this vision. “As Africa’s tourism numbers remain relatively low, fostering sustainable branding partnerships will be crucial for competing with more established destinations”, observed Teelock.
Representative of the Mauritian Government and Director for the African Union at the Mauritian Foreign Ministry, Amb. Sookun Rajkumar recounted a recent two-week stay in Kampala for the AALCO Conference, “I was struck by the hospitality and beauty of Uganda, particularly mesmerized by Lake Victoria, which is 65 times the size of Mauritius” he narrated. He also expressed gratitude for Uganda’s support in reclaiming the Chagos Archipelago after many years. Additionally, he had observed an abundance of fruits, such as watermelon and pineapple, which presented excellent opportunities for export cooperation.
Uganda Tourism Board Quality Assurance Manager Samora Machel Semakula in his presentation, emphasized Uganda’s key tourist attractions, highlighting its cultural diversity and rich biodiversity, including the “big seven,” the source of the Nile, and its status as the largest freshwater body, as well as its renowned birding locations. Uganda’s favorable climate and position as the adventure capital of East Africa were also underscored. Furthermore, it was noted that Uganda ranks 6th in Africa for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and is expected to improve over the coming years.
Afrireps CEO Claire Mugabi said that Uganda presents a wealth of fresh and untapped experiences, creating opportunities for Mauritian tour operators to introduce unique offerings to their clients. This potential allows them to charge premium prices for their services. Flanked by business partner Diana they Introduced an 8-day FAM Trip itinerary from November 8-16 2025 from the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, Murchison falls National Park, Kibaale Forest Park home to the Mountain Gorillas, Bwindi impenetrable National Park.
In a related development, Hon. Martin Mugarra, Minister of State for Tourism of the Republic of Uganda met his counterpart Hon. Jean Sydney Pierre, Junior Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Mauritius at his office in Port Louis. The two Ministers discussed cooperation in the field of Tourism between the two countries. Due to the differences in the tourism offerings by the two countries, the Ministers identified opportunity in establishing a complementary tourism promotion cooperation framework that will boost tourism figures in both countries. In this regard, it was agreed that the Ministry of Tourism of Mauritius initiates an MoU on cooperation in the field of Tourism between Uganda and Mauritius.
