By Joseph Mary Buwule
Uganda is seeking to deepen cooperation with The Bahamas in tourism, with newly appointed Honorary Consul of The Bahamas to Uganda, Anita Rukundo Tayebwa, pledging to use her new diplomatic role to connect the two countries’ tourism sectors and promote investment and knowledge exchange.
Rukundo made the remarks on Thursday evening after presenting her letters of credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Amb. Adonia Ayebare, in Kampala.
She said Uganda could draw valuable lessons from The Bahamas’ experience in developing a globally competitive tourism industry, particularly in destination marketing, hospitality, resort development, visitor experience, international tourism investment, branding and promotion.
Despite The Bahamas being considerably smaller than Uganda in geographical size and population, Rukundo noted that the Caribbean country has built a tourism sector that attracts substantially more international visitors and generates higher tourism receipts.
According to figures cited by Rukundo, The Bahamas received more than 12 million international visitors in 2025, compared with approximately 1.6 million visitors to Uganda during the same period.
The Bahamas also generated about US$5.27 billion in tourism receipts in 2025, while Uganda’s tourism receipts were estimated at about US$1.62 billion.
Rukundo said the figures demonstrate the potential for Uganda to strengthen its international tourism marketing and learn from countries that have successfully positioned themselves as major global destinations.
“We hope to bridge the gap between The Bahamas and Uganda. We hope to promote tourism… With this relationship, we hope to attract more people to come and visit Uganda,” she said.
Building tourism partnerships
Rukundo said her office would work to establish stronger connections between tourism stakeholders in Uganda and The Bahamas, including government institutions, private-sector players, tour operators and investors.
She said one of the priorities would be developing complementary tourism packages that could allow travellers to experience the unique attractions of both destinations.
“We are looking at how we can have the private sector get into The Bahamas and vice versa. With the ministry’s support, we are assured we will be able to achieve this,” she said.
The proposed cooperation could also open opportunities for Ugandan tourism operators to learn from The Bahamas in areas such as resort management, international marketing, luxury tourism and visitor experience.
Rukundo said Uganda has distinctive attractions that can be marketed to international visitors, including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, wildlife, cultural heritage and the country’s lakes and rivers.
Ayebare welcomes appointment
Foreign Affairs Minister Adonia Ayebare expressed confidence that Rukundo’s appointment would contribute to Uganda’s economic and diplomatic interests.
He said Uganda would look to her to identify and bring home best practices from The Bahamas, particularly in areas where the Caribbean country has developed strong international competitiveness.
“The figures speak for themselves; we will count on you to tap the best practices from them. Uganda will benefit immensely from your representation,” Ayebare said.
Tayebwa highlights high-value tourism
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, who attended the occasion, welcomed his wife’s appointment and said her experience in business and execution would be important in advancing the assignment.
“The public doesn’t know that she is the mover behind the scenes, running the businesses. I know her potential when it comes to execution,” Tayebwa said.
He said Rukundo had expressed interest in helping Ugandan tourism operators target high-spending visitors by leveraging the country’s unique attractions.
According to Tayebwa, The Bahamas provides an example of how a destination can combine high visitor numbers with a focus on high-value tourism.
“The Bahamas is very unique in many ways. On top of having big numbers in terms of tourism, they also attract ultra-wealthy and high-value tourists,” he said.
He pointed to Uganda’s mountain gorillas and chimpanzees as some of the attractions that could be positioned more strongly in international markets.
Focus on Lake Victoria
Tourism investor Amos Wekesa said Rukundo’s new role could also help Uganda unlock the tourism potential of its water bodies, particularly Lake Victoria.
Wekesa argued that Uganda could generate significantly more tourism revenue by investing in water-based tourism and developing experiences around the country’s lakes.
This could include stronger linkages between accommodation facilities, tour operators, transport providers and attractions around Lake Victoria.
Strengthening Commonwealth ties
King Ceasar Mulenga, the Honorary Consul of Vietnam to Uganda, described Rukundo’s appointment as significant for strengthening international relations and business connections.
“I have no doubt you will strengthen trade and people-to-people bilateral ties between our two Commonwealth nations,” Mulenga said.
The appointment comes as Uganda continues to seek ways of expanding tourism arrivals, increasing tourism earnings and attracting greater international investment into the sector.
Through her new role, Rukundo is expected to serve as a link between tourism stakeholders in Uganda and The Bahamas, creating opportunities for partnerships, investment, knowledge exchange and joint promotion.
The initiative could also give Ugandan tourism operators an opportunity to explore the Bahamian market while exposing investors and travellers from the Caribbean to Uganda’s wildlife, culture, adventure and nature-based tourism offerings.
