A survey published by Tourism Global Players has named Uganda the third most popular tourist destination in Africa. Countries of the continent were compared with regards to the quality of their infrastructure network, technology or price competitiveness.
Uganda has been trying to offer better services to its visitors. Uganda"s officials have been concentrating their efforts on creating more suitable trade opportunities for Chinese companies. Of course, the trade is not yet equally balanced; Uganda"s export rate still being significantly lower.
The business cooperation between China and Uganda has been growing since the 1960s. In 2005, the bilateral trade has reached nearly 100 million dollars. Copmpared to 2004, the recognized rise of the trade is 12,8%, Uganda’s export to China has increased 71.8 % to 20 million dollars and import from China incresed 12.8 % as well. Moreover, according to Wambuzi, the country’s minister for trade, these numbers will rise. Since Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Premier, visited Uganda in June this year, more and more Chinese businessmen have been coming to Uganda in order to explore the possibilities it has to offer.
A Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum is to be held in Beijing this November. Both China and Uganda expect further benefits for trade and even better perspectives in tourism as an outcome of the Forum. One of the goals of the local government is to attract at least a million Chinese tourists and encourage Chinese businessmen to invest in Uganda’s hotel industry. As Minister Wambuzi said, “Africa is welcoming China whole-heartedly, Uganda in particular. I think it is very important for the people in China to pick interest in visiting Uganda.”