UTB PARTICIPATES IN FUFA LUNCHEON AND BENCHMARKS AFCON HOST READINESS IN MOROCCO

Officials from the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) participated in a luncheon hosted by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) on the sidelines of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) engagements in Morocco. The event brought together key stakeholders involved in Uganda’s sports and tourism sectors, providing a platform for dialogue on leveraging football as a driver of tourism growth and destination visibility.

The luncheon was attended by H.E. Ambassador Yahya Ssemuddu, Uganda’s Ambassador to Sudan, Morocco, Eritrea and Chad; Dr. Ramathan Ggobi, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury (PSST); Hon. Moses Magogo, President of FUFA; Mr. Vincent Operemo, Director at UTB; officials from UTB’s Quality Assurance and Marketing departments; FUFA staff; and representatives from the private sector.

During the discussions, both the PSST and the FUFA President emphasized the strategic role of sport—particularly football—in stimulating tourism development and enhancing Uganda’s global destination profile. They commended UTB for undertaking the benchmarking visit to Morocco, noting that the lessons drawn will be instrumental in supporting Uganda’s successful co-hosting of AFCON 2027. The meeting underscored the importance of using major sporting events as platforms to showcase Uganda’s tourism offerings to continental and international audiences.

H.E. Ambassador Yahya Ssemuddu highlighted the need for sustained collaboration between UTB, FUFA, and other government and non-government stakeholders to effectively position Uganda as a preferred tourism destination. He called for strengthened partnerships and coordinated promotion to ensure preparedness and impactful destination marketing ahead of AFCON 2027.

Following the luncheon, the UTB delegation visited and inspected Villa Soroya, a four-star hospitality facility in Rabat, as part of a benchmarking exercise to assess accommodation standards, service delivery, and overall hospitality readiness for hosting an AFCON tournament.

The delegation also participated in an interview with FUFA TV, during which they shared insights into the objectives of their visit to Morocco and outlined UTB’s role in leveraging AFCON 2027 as a catalyst for tourism promotion and international destination visibility.

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