Uganda Tourism Board secured an international tourism marketing platform through the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), following a partnership agreement signed between the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Kampala on Friday.
The agreement gives UTB official destination sponsorship rights, allowing Uganda to showcase its tourism attractions through CAF’s international broadcast, digital and stadium promotional platforms ahead of the tournament.
AFCON 2027, also known as PAMOJA 2027, will be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa said the partnership presented Uganda with an opportunity to use the popularity of football to attract tourists, promote investment and strengthen the country’s international profile.
He said the tournament would bring together football supporters, participating teams, officials, broadcasters and international audiences, offering Uganda an opportunity to market its tourism attractions beyond the continent.
“This agreement marks an important milestone in our preparations for the tournament and presents Uganda with an extraordinary opportunity to use the power of football to promote our country, grow tourism and strengthen our international profile,” Tayebwa said.
He urged the Uganda Tourism Board, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and private-sector players to mobilise resources and prepare to benefit from the anticipated influx of visitors.
Tayebwa said preparations should go beyond football infrastructure to include transport, accommodation, hospitality services, security and the general visitor experience.
He challenged tourism operators to develop packages that combine football with wildlife safaris, cultural experiences, adventure tourism, local cuisine and entertainment to encourage visitors to explore the country beyond match venues.
“Our ambition must go beyond hosting football matches. We must use AFCON 2027 to sell Uganda to Africa and the world. Our visitors should not simply arrive, watch their favourite teams and depart. We want them to explore our destinations, taste our food, experience our cultures, enjoy our music and festivals, and discover the many attractions that make Uganda unique,” he said.
Tayebwa also called for a change in the way tourism products are marketed, urging operators to target visitors according to their spending capacity rather than offering unsuitable packages.”Someone has a budget of 25,000 dollars and you are marketing to him a Rolex,” he said.
He pledged Parliament’s support through legislation, policy interventions and resource mobilisation to strengthen the tourism sector.
CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu, who signed the agreement on behalf of the continental football governing body, said Uganda had several attractions that could make it a memorable destination for football supporters.
“You have extraordinary wildlife, beautiful landscapes, the source of the Nile, and above all, the warmth of the Ugandan people,” Adamu said.
He said the tournament offered an opportunity to bring together football, tourism and business, with potential benefits for hotels, restaurants, airlines, young people and local communities.
Adamu cited the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco, which he said recorded a cumulative television audience of 3.2 billion, as an indication of the potential international exposure Uganda could receive through the 2027 competition.”Just imagine the opportunity this represents to showcase the Pearl of Africa! And with Uganda already welcoming more than 1.6 million international visitors annually, we believe the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda 2027 can help take that ambition even further,” he said.
Adamu said the partnership should deliver lasting benefits beyond the tournament by encouraging visitors to return to Uganda after experiencing its attractions and hospitality.
UTB Chief Executive Officer Juliana Kagwa signed the agreement on behalf of the tourism agency.
However, the tourism marketing initiative comes as questions persist about the readiness of the three East African countries to host the tournament, with less than eight months remaining before kick-off.
Concerns have particularly focused on stadium construction and rehabilitation, supporting infrastructure, transport networks and accommodation facilities.
CAF has continued engaging the three host countries through inspections of proposed competition venues and other facilities.
Uganda is expected to host matches at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole and Hoima City Stadium, alongside supporting training facilities.
State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang dismissed suggestions that Uganda might fail to host its share of the tournament, saying the country should focus on preparations and opportunities rather than doubts.”Ugandans still don’t believe AFCON is here. They’ll believe when it is too late to take advantage,” Ogwang said.
He argued that CAF’s engagement with Uganda, including the tourism marketing partnership, demonstrated confidence in the country’s hosting role.
“So you think CAF would have committed all those resources to this partnership if the tournament was not bound to happen here?” he asked.
The 2027 tournament will be the first Africa Cup of Nations jointly hosted by three countries and will return the continental competition to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted it in 1976.