The 10th edition of the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE 2026) moved from formalities to full-scale business on Day 2, 22 May, as exhibitors, hosted buyers, and investors filled the halls of Speke Resort Munyonyo for back-to-back B2B meetings and sector-focused panels.
With the official opening concluded on Day 1 by President Yoweri Museveni, Day 2 shifted focus to execution under the theme; “Wanderlust – It’s Your Time to Thrive.”
The convention centre hosted over 2,000 scheduled business-to-business meetings, connecting more than 300 Ugandan exhibitors with 200 hosted buyers from 40 countries.
UTB said the meetings prioritised tour operators from Turkey, Egypt, China, and Canada markets targeted for growth in 2026.
Sessions ran across four conference tracks including Film in Tourism which involved Exploring how film locations can drive destination marketing, with case studies from Uganda’s recent international shoots, Aviation and Connectivity highlighting the discussions on expanding direct routes and easing travel logistics to Uganda, Source Market Development that involved Strategies for penetrating emerging markets in Asia and Eastern Europe, and Product Development which focused on packaging cultural heritage, community tourism, and MICE offerings for global buyers.
Juliana Kagwa, the UTB’s CEO pointed out the collective responsibility to position Uganda on the global stage by making it visible, searchable, and competitive for the country to be ranked among the world’s top tourism destinations and realise the aspirations of Vision 2040.
“Uganda is richly endowed, but our story is still under-told. We must take ownership of telling it ourselves because no one else will do it for us,” she said.
The highlight of Day 2 was the buildup to the inaugural Uganda Food Exhibition, set for the final day. Vendors began setting up and certification checks, with UTB CEO Juliana Kagwa reiterating that only UNBS-certified producers would exhibit.
Street food staples like rolex, kabalagala, and muwogo are slated for the expo floor, aimed at giving buyers a “truly Ugandan culinary experience” and positioning food as a tourism product.
According to UTB spokesperson Dr Simplicious Gessa, this year’s expo has put additional strength and given a lot more than they have previously had.
“This expo is specific this time because it has put new segments, we have film that has been added to the component of showcasing and food, food is important to us as Ugandans because, as you know, we have over 50 tribes and associations with each tribe having distinct culture, distinct food, distinct way of life. So, indeed, we are diversifying how the globe looks at us. So today’s expo has definitely built a few foundational landmarks, and we think every other year we are just having growth, and that’s why in these 10 years we are very pleased that Ugandans have always shown up to support tourism,” he said.
Industry players said the expo is delivering on its promise as a platform for deal-making. Exhibitors reported strong interest in wildlife safaris, cultural tours, and luxury hospitality packages.
Lalit Thawrani, the CEO of the Holiday Dreams Travel Management Company Limited, stated that they have participated in this year’s edition mainly to tap into the market of retail clients, target those clients on a retail basis, where clients want to travel personally for their vacation, or for their leisure purposes.
“Participation in this exhibition is our good chance to achieve that goal since even the management of this exhibition was done very well and we really appreciate the Uganda Tourism Board together with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, for having given us a chance to take part in this year’s edition,” he noted.
The UTB spokesperson emphasised that beyond exhibitions, the event is designed to convert international interest into visitor arrivals and investment.
Day 3, 23 May, will feature the Uganda Food Exhibition, and the Pearl of Africa Tourism Awards 2026, launched in partnership with the EU Mission in Uganda to recognise excellence and sustainability in the sector. With a day of meetings remaining, UTB projects over 5,000 B2B engagements by the close of the expo.
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