The visitor arrivals at the Source of the Nile declined by 3.2% from 190,330 in 2023 to 184,226 in 2024; however, this figure remains 17% higher than 2019 levels, and the slight drop being attributed to ongoing construction at the site, which, once completed, is expected to enhance the visitor experience and drive future growth.
This was revealed during the dissemination of the 2024 tourism performance statistics event held on Thursday, 17th April at Hotel Africana in Kampala.
According to the tourism trends and statistics report 2025 released by the Ministry, in 2024, 95% of visitors to the Source of the Nile were domestic tourists, up from 93% in 2023 indicating an even stronger dominance of domestic tourism, with only 5% being foreign visitors, while domestic entries slightly decreased by 1.5% (from 177,508 in 2023 to 174,892 in 2024), foreign visitornumbers dropped more significantly by 27.2% (from 12,822 to 9334), lowering the foreign visitor share from 7% to 5%.
The report also highlighted the strong support from the education sector, indicating an increase in 2024, where school groups grew to live 72.3% of total visitors, up from 65% in 2023. All other categories declined; Ugandans (-22.9%), foreign non-residents (-27.2%), and foreign residents (-15.4%), lowering their combined share to 27.7%, and the most notable drop was among Ugandan individual visitors, whose share fell from 26% to 20.3%.
The country’s tourism sector continued its recovery in 2024, with tourist arrivals increasing by 7.7% to 1371,85 from 1,274,210 in 2023 and the growth mainly driven by Mainland Africa, which saw a rise in visitors from 1,136,233 to 1,223,678, with East Africa remaining the largest contributor.
Key overseas markets also performed well, including the United Kingdom (10,179 arrivals), United States(16,237 arrivals), and India (34,208 arrivals). The North American market grew 19.7%, largely due to a surge in Canadian arrivals (from 3,900 to 9,688). Uganda’s international tourism recovery reached 89.2% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 82.6% in 2023, reinforcing its position as a leading African tourism destination.
Total tourist arrivals to Uganda grew by 7.7%, increasing from 1,274,210 in 2023 to 1,371,895 in 2024, with Africa remaining the largest source market at 1,223,678 visitors.Overseas visitor arrivals increased by 8.9%, reaching 137,411 in 2024, with significant contributions from Europe (39,596), the Americas (28,751), and Asia & the Pacific (67,176).Uganda’s tourism recovery is driven by international confidence and strategic marketing efforts.
Doreen Katusiime, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary emphasized that the tourism industry plays a vital role in Uganda’s socio-economic development, whereby in 2024, it contributed 6.6% to the national GDP and supported over 803,000 jobs, reflecting both its resilience and its capacity to drive inclusive growth.
“International tourist arrivals rose by 7.7%, reaching 1.37 million, while tourism earnings grew by 26% to USD 1.28 billion. We witnessed longer stays, higher per capita expenditure, and a notable shift toward leisure and premium tourism experiences,” she highlighted.
The Permanent Secretary also acknowledged the dynamic global and regional context in which these achievements occurred, saying, “The global travel industry reached 99% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Uganda not only kept pace but strengthened its position in the region – particularly within Sub-Saharan Africa, where it now holds a 3.2% share of all international tourist arrivals.”
She, therefore, extended the Ministry’s sincere appreciation to all the partners, government agencies, private sector actors, development partners, and communities whose collective efforts continue to shape the success of Uganda’s tourism sector.
Other attendees of the event were Pearl Kakooza, the Uganda Tourism Board chairperson; Bradford Ocheng – deputy CEO at UTB; Basil Ajer, the Director of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities; Isa Kato representing AUTO; Joseph Esule, the UTB M&E Officer; members of parliament; Herbert Kwobere; Ronald Afidra Olema, Mourine Osoru, Agnes Kirabo and Beth Engola among other dignitaries.
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