‘Tourism and football are cousins. They are natural partners.’ Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa drew on his own travels to explain what Uganda could gain beyond the matches at the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2027.
He had followed the national team- Uganda Crane- to Egypt and Gabon, where supporting Uganda became part of a bigger journey. ‘I went to watch Uganda in Egypt. And I spent time visiting Egypt and exploring. I think I spent very little money on football tickets. I spent much more touring Egypt,’ he recalled.
Gabon had offered the deputy speaker a similar opportunity. ‘I spent much more money touring the country and more time touring the country than watching football. So, I’m really happy that we partnered on this.’
Speaking at Friday’s signing of a marketing rights agreement between Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Kampala, Tayebwa gave a practical example of the business Uganda hopes to draw from hosting.
Football can bring supporters through Entebbe International Airport. Uganda’s opportunity is to give them reasons to explore beyond the stadiums, spend more time in the country and return after the competition.
The agreement provides a platform for making that invitation. Signed by UTB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Juliana Kagwa and Confederation of African Football (CAF) general secretary Samson Adamu, it secures Official Destination Sponsor rights, placing the Explore Uganda brand across the tournament’s broadcast, digital and in-stadium promotional activities.
Uganda will co-host Afcon with Kenya and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027. Alongside the work of preparing stadiums, training facilities and tournament operations, the partnership puts attention on what visitors will experience away from the matches.
Kagwa notes that the ambition is straightforward.
‘They’re coming for the football. And they’re staying for Uganda. They’re staying for our wildlife. They’re staying for our biodiversity, culture, heritage, provenance and people. We know what they’re staying for.’
Uganda has attractions around which those journeys can be built. Supporters with time in Kampala can explore cultural sites and museums, taste local food and experience the city’s music and vibrant nightlife.
If they chose to take a trip east to Jinja, there will see the Source of the Nile and have opportunities for water sports. Those reserving more days can travel to Murchison Falls or Queen Elizabeth national parks for wildlife experiences, head southwest for mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, or plan hiking in the Rwenzori Mountains.
The opportunity for tourism operators is to connect those experiences to the football calendar. A supporter with an afternoon between fixtures will need a different offer from someone setting aside a week after the tournament.
Both need to know what is available, what it costs and how to arrange it. That makes the agreement a starting point for work across the industry. The country can advertise its attractions to football audiences, while businesses develop the journeys that make a longer stay worthwhile.
The State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Susan Nakawuki Nsambu, urged the sector to concentrate on that connection.
‘For Uganda, the question is not simply how many people will see our country during the tournament. The bigger question is how many of those people we can inspire to visit, explore and experience Uganda. This is where our focus must be,’ she explained.
Tourism’s state minister called on businesses to prepare for the interest the partnership could generate.
‘We must also ensure that the tourism industry is ready to respond to the opportunity this partnership is going to create. Our hotels, our tour operators, our travel agents, our transporters, our restaurants, our tourism businesses should begin positioning themselves to benefit from the anticipated interest.’
Nakawuki urged the industry to develop competitive packages combining Afcon with wildlife, adventure, cultural and leisure experiences. Her emphasis was on helping potential visitors make a travel decision, with clear information and convenient ways to plan their stay.
For a supporter following a team, that means knowing whether an excursion fits between matches and whether transport will bring them back in time. If someone extends a visit, it means being able to connect accommodation, transfers and activities without having to assemble every part of the journey alone.
Clear arrangements would make the tourism proposition tangible. Like that, a football ticket establishes the reason to travel thanks to a well-organised itinerary which can create reasons to add nights at a hotel, book a guide or travel to another part of Uganda.
The practical preparation also includes explaining the experience honestly. Visitors need to know how much time an activity requires, what level of physical effort it involves and what their payment covers.
That information helps operators match an offer to a supporter’s interests, budget and available time during Afcon. Nakawuki called for a coordinated marketing programme with clear targets and measurable outcomes.
The partnership’s value, in her account, should be assessed through genuine travel interest, enquiries, bookings and actual visits. CAF’s Adamu described UTB as the first regional sponsor being announced for the tournament.
He presented the agreement as a decision to use football’s audience to introduce the destination internationally.
‘You have decided to use football to tell Uganda’s story to the world. And Uganda has a very beautiful story to tell to the world. And AFCON is the best platform, is the right platform for you to tell that story, not only in Africa but also to the world.’
He identified hotels, restaurants, airlines and local communities among the potential beneficiaries. The tournament, he argued, brings together people and cultures while creating business opportunities beyond the action on the pitch.
That audience includes people who will watch without travelling to East Africa. The tournament gives Uganda a chance to introduce itself to potential holidaymakers who may visit later.
Supporters who do attend will leave with experiences that can influence whether they recommend the country or return themselves. The description by UTB’s chief executive of the preparations brought that responsibility into a familiar Ugandan setting.
‘This is the biggest kwanjula Uganda will ever have,’ Kagwa told the gathering, comparing Afcon to a traditional introduction ceremony and the effort a homestead makes to receive guests.
‘This is our moment in history. We must welcome the rest of the world, whether it is virtually or physically. We need to get ready.’ Master of ceremonies Andrew Kabura extended her comparison to the different people who make such a gathering possible.
Some fetch water, others bring firewood or help put up tents. The occasion succeeds through contributions that reach beyond its principal hosts. For Afcon, that shared effort will include the people who meet supporters at Entebbe International Airport, drive them to their accommodation, serve their meals and help them find their way around.
Kagwa put those encounters before the audience. ‘Who will be picking people up from the airport? Who will be interacting, engaging with our partners, our tourists, our visitors in restaurants, in the nightlife?’
The questions give ordinary businesses a place in the tournament’s tourism ambitions. A driver can provide a reliable transfer while a restaurant introduces a visitor to Ugandan food.
Relatedly, a guide can explain the history behind a cultural site and help a brief stop become a memorable experience. Kagwa said preparations to involve businesses had already begun.
‘We’ve put out tenders already ahead of even signing this contract so that people can start to partner and participate in the value chain, this new value chain called AFCON 2027.’
Tourism entrepreneur Amos Wekesa also urged Ugandans to prepare for the business within reach. He identified accommodation, food and transport among the opportunities, while warning against waiting for the benefits to arrive without making plans.
‘Governments cannot earn the money. It is us to earn the money from those guys who are going to come. It is you to sit down and think about how you can tap into the opportunity,’ Wekesa, founder of Great Lakes Safaris, argued.
His message was direct. ‘But at the end of the day criticising won’t help. Let’s make the money, let’s prepare ourselves.’ The potential extends beyond establishments dealing directly with supporters.
The ripple effect includes a restaurant serving more meals and its needs for supplies, a hotel accommodating more guests and creating demand for goods and services, then a farmers, traders, cultural enterprises and other small businesses participating through those connections.
The tourism state minister called for deliberate opportunities for young people and women.
‘This means that when we grow tourism, we also create opportunities for many other sectors within our economy. I particularly want to see more opportunities created for our young people, our women, small businesses to participate in this growth,’ Nakawuki explained.
She also stressed professionalism, value for money and improvements in service standards. The welcome being promoted must be supported by what visitors experience, from their arrival to their departure.
The three-country hosting arrangement provides another opportunity. Nakawuki described Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania as destinations with complementary attractions and encouraged tourism cooperation across the region.
Adamu similarly urged the hosts to preserve the shared character of the competition, introducing the football community to East Africa’s attractions and hospitality.
The tournament creates room for regional travel while giving each host an opportunity to make its own destination memorable.
For Uganda, the longer ambition is to earn tourism business after the final whistle. Tayebwa linked the partnership to the need to turn hosting investment into lasting economic opportunities, while questioning how stadiums could generate more income.
The agreement has secured a promotional platform. Uganda’s attractions provide experiences to market. The work ahead is to connect the two through packages people can book, services they can rely on and a welcome they will remember. Afcon now gives Uganda an opportunity to offer arriving supporters a similarly rewarding journey.