Between the 21st and 25th of May, Uganda will open her doors to the world for the ninth Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo 2025 (POATE) at Speke Resort Convention Center, Munyonyo. This year the expo will be running under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”.

POATE is premier travel and tourism trade show that is organized annually by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) in partnership with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities and other stakeholders.

Anyone working in travel or tourism will tell you that planning the trips that bring you so much joy and wonder, teach you about the world and create everlasting memories for you requires thousands of individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes to make your travel dreams seamless. 

The cornerstone of these industries is collaboration and that is exactly what POATE promotes. Each year it brings together various local and international stakeholders creating opportunities for networking, forging of new business deals and strengthening of old ones all to create a more competitive and sustainable industry for all. 

This gives industry players such as tour operators a chance to learn from each other as well as showcase their services. 

POATE is a unique and cost effective way for tour operators to put their best foot forward. The expo features hosted buyers, these are companies or people who sell various tourism destinations to buyers across the world. 

Being able to attract and charm these buyers would place you in a strategic place where you can bring the wonders of Uganda to the world and put your business on the map. 

Another opportunity lies in the visitors that flock the expo to see what you have to offer. Being able to interact with potential customers is a valuable experience that gives you an insight into what their needs are and how you can meet them. 

POATE is also a magnet for local and international exhibitors alike. They are mix of players in both leisure and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism like tour operators, hotels and lodges, travel operators among others. 

Taking time to speak to them as a tour operator can teach you unique ways others might be advertising their services, tap into destinations you had not originally thought to offer, and forge new connections that will be the basis for successful business relationships.

The trade show will feature over 250 local and international exhibitors, 70 hosted buyers and over 5000 visitors. As they say numbers don’t lie and these numbers are a truly golden opportunity for you to showcase your tour and travel services to the world. 

For more information, visit the official website for Uganda Tourism Board or the official website for POATE. The countdown is on for POATE 2025 and you’d be a fool to miss it! 

If you’re looking for experienced ground handlers in East Africa, you’ve just found your perfect partner! Email us at tours@sitestravel-ug.com before you even land in Uganda, so by the time you arrive, the expo will be all about sealing the deal and meeting your trusted partner in person.