Uganda to Mark World Tourism Day 2025 in Arua, Unlocking West Nile’s Untapped Potential
Uganda will join the rest of the world in celebrating World Tourism Day (WTD) 2025 on September 27th under the global theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”, with national festivities set for Arua City in the West Nile sub-region.
The choice of Arua, a vibrant cultural hub with breathtaking landscapes and yet-to-be-tapped tourism treasures, signals a bold step by the government to diversify the country’s tourism footprint beyond traditional circuits.
Unveiling the celebrations, State Minister for Tourism, Martin Mugarra, said government views tourism not just as leisure but as a driver of socio-economic transformation, job creation, and community inclusion.
“Taking World Tourism Day to Arua is deliberate. It’s about spreading opportunities, strengthening regional participation, and telling the world that Uganda’s beauty is not confined to one region,” he said.
The week-long activities will include tourism exhibitions, familiarization trips, youth and school programs, and high-level dialogue forums designed to engage communities and investors alike.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) added an exciting twist to the festivities. Its Executive Director, Dr. James Musinguzi, announced that from September 25th–27th, UWA will open selected national parks to the public with free game drives, free entry, and free filming opportunities. This comes shortly after the successful #NameARhino campaign, which captured global attention.
“Our parks are Uganda’s pride. By offering free access during WTD, we want Ugandans to experience this heritage firsthand and build ownership of our conservation journey,” Dr. Musinguzi noted.
Other partners, including the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), emphasized that cross-sector synergies are the future of tourism growth, positioning Uganda as a safe, open, and globally competitive destination.
This year’s WTD celebrations will not only showcase West Nile’s cultural richness and hospitality, but also serve as a rallying point for Uganda’s strategy to expand investment and community benefits from tourism across the country.
