5th Edition of “Ekkula” Pearl of Africa Tourism Awards Launched, Tourists assured of Safety

The State Minister for Tourism Martin Mugarra has reassured tourists that the country is safe despite isolated cases of Ebola.

Mugarra made the remarks while launching the 5th Edition of the Ekkula Pearl of Africa Tourism Awards and Exhibitions.

The Minister also tasked the tourism sector players to observe quality assurance and comply with standardisation guidelines set by Uganda Tourism Board(UTB) to make the sector more competitive globally.

“Unlike the previous awarding ceremonies, this years’ Ekkula Tourism awards will involve regional quality assurance and sustainability training workshops, intended to improve service delivery by impacting basic tourism skills across the value chain,” he said.

The awards ceremony scheduled to happen at Kampala Sheraton on 1st December will run under the theme “Rethinking Tourism and Promotion of Green Initiatives”.

Ekkula PAT Awards and Exhibition is an annual activity that Researches, Nominates, Exhibits, Recognises and Awards those that selflessly put Uganda’s tourism to admirable heights. These will include both Ugandans and non-Ugandans.

The ceremony will provide a special focus on the Sustainable Development Goals Journey to 2030 by contributing towards the implementation and achievement of the 17 SDGs; aiming to inspire governments, policymakers and tourism companies to incorporate relevant aspects of the SDGs into policy and financing frameworks as well as business operations and investments.