Uganda’s approach to international tourism promotion is increasingly raising questions about government priorities, value for money and the effectiveness of institutions entrusted with marketing the country abroad.
After the reported $1 million (approximately Shs3.7 billion) engagement of American singer and actor Tyrese Gibson to promote Ugandan coffee, the country has now entered a three-year sponsorship agreement with a relatively unknown German football club competing in the eighth tier of the country’s football league system.
The latest deal, signed between Uganda’s Embassy in Germany and VfB Einheit zu Pankow, will see the country’s “Explore Uganda – The Pearl of Africa” tourism brand displayed on the jerseys of the club’s first men’s team and G2 youth team.
However, rather than generating confidence in Uganda’s international marketing ambitions, the partnership has triggered criticism, with questions emerging about whether the country is spending its limited resources on platforms capable of delivering meaningful international exposure.
VfB Einheit zu Pankow competes in the Bezirksliga Berlin, the eighth tier of German football. Unlike internationally recognised clubs with millions of followers and substantial global television audiences, the German side has limited international visibility.
This has prompted some Ugandans to question the thinking behind the agreement, arguing that the country should have pursued partnerships with more established European clubs capable of exposing its tourism brand to wider audiences.
The criticism comes at a time when Rwanda has pursued high-profile tourism marketing partnerships with major European football clubs, including Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.
While Uganda’s decision to work with a smaller club could be defended as an attempt to establish a presence in the German market, the absence of publicly available financial details makes it difficult to determine whether the partnership represents a sensible investment.
The bigger concern is the growing perception that Uganda’s tourism promotion strategy is increasingly focused on expensive publicity engagements and international branding exercises without sufficiently demonstrating the economic returns.
The reported Tyrese Gibson engagement has already attracted attention because of its reported $1 million price tag. Yet questions remain about the actual commercial benefits of the campaign, including how much additional coffee business it generated and whether it translated into increased international demand for Ugandan products.
Now, the German football sponsorship presents another opportunity for the responsible institutions to demonstrate that their decisions are based on measurable marketing objectives rather than publicity alone.
Uganda Tourism Board and other government agencies involved in these initiatives should be able to explain the financial commitments, expected audience reach, performance indicators and anticipated economic benefits.
It is particularly concerning that Uganda continues to seek international visibility while questions about the effectiveness of its promotional spending remain unanswered.
The country has some of Africa’s most attractive tourism destinations, including mountain gorillas, national parks, wildlife reserves, cultural heritage sites and the source of the Nile. These attractions should provide a strong foundation for a competitive tourism industry.
However, promoting them requires more than placing logos on football jerseys or bringing international celebrities to Uganda. It requires deliberate investment in tourism infrastructure, destination management, international travel partnerships and marketing campaigns that can be evaluated against actual results.
The government must therefore explain why it considers such arrangements worthwhile and what tangible benefits Ugandans should expect.
Ultimately, the issue is not whether Uganda should promote itself internationally, but whether the money and institutional resources committed to these initiatives are being used wisely.
