Miss Tourism Uganda (MTU) 2025 introduced Man of Tourism as a brand-new segment in their pageant this year and brought down the walls. One did not know what to expect of Man of Tourism after decades of getting conditioned to thinking that beauty pageants are strictly a female preserve.
The only events (before Man of Tourism) that come close to resembling a male pageant are the bodybuilding competitions, and even those pull small crowds of mostly bodybuilding enthusiasts. Which might explain why male pageants have historically been shunned by investors, until Man of Tourism.
The night of September 5, proved that men can bring new life to the runways of a beauty pageant in the most unexpected ways.
The Kampala Serena International Conference Centre was filled with families and supporters of the contestants by 7pm. Many of the supporters were university students, as most contestants are university students.
The whole building was buzzing with adrenaline, like a stadium on the night of the big match. There was drumming and clapping and blowing of vuvuzelas, especially at the back. This was a Miss Tourism finale like no other before.
Tall, chiselled, 21-year-olds were a part of the pageant this time, and the crowd, especially the young women, who happen to be the vast majority of pageant goers, were absolutely loving it. And for good reason. The outfits were stunning in a charming way, even to the male attendees.
For instance, to make the suits extra spicy for the runway, the designer had decided to add interesting details to otherwise ordinary suits. For applicability, one could easily see how such simple touches could transform any suit into a unique attire to achieve that extra sharp look on special occasions.
Because why bother attend the pageant if you cannot learn something worthwhile, right? Seeing those 11 young men walking up and down the runway, exuding of confidence and youthful masculinity was refreshing and noble. The organisers thought it was high time to include men in the pageant since the year’s theme was ‘I am my culture’ and men are an integral part of culture.
The idea to introduce Man of Tourism into MTU pageants was announced in March this year. ‘For once, this was a step in the right direction to lift up the boy child, putting the boy child on the pedestal and giving them a platform to shine after decades of social programmes focusing solely on the girl child. Many have complained about the lack of such a program and few have cared to do something about it,’ says Ivan Luggya, one of the MTU bosses.
On August 16, an unveiling event was held at Emin Pasha Hotel to reveal both the male and the female finalists.
The next three weeks leading up to the grand finale on September 5, would be filled with a boot camp where the contestants would be physically and mentally trained to withstand the grueling undertaking that is pageantry. But no matter how tough the boot camp turns out to be, nothing prepares you for several hours of strutting in front of a judgmental crowd while ensuring to smile confidently.
On that runway, these 11 pioneer male contestants for the Man of Tourism crown were walking a path that many would most likely follow going forward. They had been exposed to knowledge about tourism and the confidence to communicate that knowledge for the betterment of the industry. They had been trained on how to dress fashionably to give great first impressions. The men had been trained to hold their shoulders up and look up when talking.
But most notably, the men seemed like they had been put through thorough physical training to accentuate their masculine aspects. Because their bodies were so toned, you could almost see their abs through their fancy jackets. One thing was clear, they would not be left the same by this experience.
One hopes this sets a precedent across social programs that have hitherto focused exclusively on female empowerment. One major switch-up about this year’s grand finale was the lack of monotony from the attendees’ perspective and the luxury of rest on the part of the contestants.
Prior to this year, the girls had to constantly be on stage in one way or another, entertaining, answering questions or showing off their talents.
This time, when the Man of Tourism contestants were on stage, the Miss Tourism contestants were backstage resting their feet from the six-inch heels, catching a breath, and preparing for the next segment, and vice versa.
There was less visible stress, and the dances were more energetic because the contestants were more rested. This alternating action from the male to the female contestants made the pageant more interesting.
Miss Tourism events are notorious for lasting too long (it goes without saying), but somehow this didn’t feel that long because it was a little more entertaining, with each segment leaving you at a cliffhanger point.
It felt like a good movie running two plots to the same anticipated climax. Which is why the drumming and the vuvuzelas never stopped blaring as the crowd cheered for contestants deep into the night.
As the night wore on, the competition got tighter as contestants gave way for the luckier ones. The Q and A session, as always, was a test through fire. Many drop out not because they are not smart or beautiful but because the question is so complicated, almost no one would pass it.
For instance, when you are asked to name of all national parks in the country, while you may know them, saying them while counting them in front of the judges is harder than it seems initially. Compare that to a question that requires you to name the smallest national park and you start to get the picture. The Q and A session is like sports betting. You just cannot prepare enough for it.
And the winner….
As it was clocking 2am, the winners were announced. Isaac Amuriat , 27, from Ngora District in Teso region made history when he emerged Man of Tourism while Karamoja’s Kezia Cindy Nachap, 21, took the crown for Miss Tourism Uganda. The tallest, most ripped, most handsome man won the crown for Man of Tourism while the tallest, daintiest and shapeliest of the female contestants won the crown for Miss Tourism.
While you are never sure who will emerge winner, these two were no surprises at all. They stood out in the area of beauty on top of everything else. When you have been to a few pageants, it becomes clear that this is not always the case. The most unlikely contestants often win.Neither contestant had done well at all in the voting segment.
Amuriat had only received 6.27 percent of the votes and position number 5 while Nachap had only got 2.79 percent of the votes and position 10. But it turns out, behaviour and brain must match the physical beauty or else one’s chances of winning become slim. Amassing the most votes does not guarantee winning. It only guarantees a position in the top five, and then your personality takes it from there.
‘I didn’t win just because I stood out physically. We are judged all throughout the boot camp, where our general behaviour is scrutinized for hard work, time management, humility and leadership skills. I believe I won because I showed leadership skills (I was the team leader in boot camp. I also believe I won because I am humble and respectful,’ Amuriat says.
EgyptAir’s sponsorship includes 12 free air tickets to Miss Tourism.