The International Community of Banyakigezi (ICOB) in the USA, a group made up of Ugandans hailing from Kigezi region of Uganda, is set to promote the Ugandan tourism in any way possible during their forthcoming annual convention to be held in New Jersey, USA this August.
With this year’s theme being: ‘Innovation-Driven Tourism,’ the grouping will gather in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA on August 1, 2019 for their Seventeenth Annual Convention.
The New Jersey Convention will have attention set to showcasing Uganda as a priority tourist destination and also present and promote the case for sustainable tourism, within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 8.9.
This sustainable goal states that by 2030, member states “will devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”.
This year’s convention will also build on ideas and strategies that were generated from last year’s convention in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
While commenting on the event, the ICOB 2019 Convention lead organizer, Mrs. Sarah Sebikari-Rukunda commented that, “First, we plan to showcase Uganda as a priority tourist destination and to create an opportunity for Ugandan tourism operators and entrepreneurs to promote their businesses and network with their American counterparts.”
“Second, we plan to explore tourism beyond national parks and animal tracking. No doubt our country’s national parks are highly worthy attractions for the connoisseur of wildlife tourism and photography. So, we shall ask the question: “Why should a tourist choose Uganda over other worthy destinations?”
She also remarked that members of the ICOB ought to learn about tourism promotion and management in this information age, mindful of the stiff competition that Uganda faces from equally beautiful neighbors like Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
“Whereas thousands of Diaspora Ugandans regularly visit their homeland, anecdotal evidence suggests that most restrict their visits to Kampala and their home areas in the countryside. Time constraints may be one reason for this. However, a lack of awareness of the beautiful landscape, people and rich cultures beyond their local horizons may be the main problem,” she said.
With such a move, ICOB is determined to do a ‘free of charge’ volunteer drive that hopes to enhance Uganda’s tourism, a service international public relations companies are paid millions of dollars by the government to do.
“It is the least we can do for a country that prepared very many ICOB members for great opportunities that we have enjoyed all over the world,” said one of the organizers of the event.
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