Ekkula Festival Now Marks Uganda’s Commitment to Sustainable Tourism and Wildlife Conservation

Published on December 3, 2025

Uganda has been at the forefront of sustainable tourism and ecological conservation. The country’s commitment was demonstrated especially during the 2022 Ekkula Sustainable Tourism Festival when Uganda became the first country in the world to honour the late Dr. Jane Goodall. This notable award occurred during the Ekkula Sustainable Tourism Festival’s 3-day Finale and further strengthened Uganda’s participation in the African tourism market. Beyond being the first country to honor Dr. Goodall, the event was first of its kind in the country, making it a focal point in the country’s tourism sector and a platform to advocate for the protection of wildlife and the promotion of conservation initiatives. This made the event a historic milestone in the country’s tourism sector and a focal point to advocate for the protection of wildlife and the promotion of initiatives to conserve ecologically important areas.

The Ekkula Festival was hosted at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel and was a platform for the tourism and conservation fraternity to engage with policymakers and the local community in the establishment of a new tourism vision for Uganda that integrates sustainability, community participation, and cultural aspects. The positive ambiance of the festival was a true reflection of the changing attitudes within the country’s tourism sector and in the wider community that is inspired by the belief that sustainable tourism will provide socio-economic and environmental benefits to the community and the country.

Recognition for Dr Jane Goodall

Ekkula Awards Night celebrated Dr. Jane Goodall’s milestones and legacy while serving as conservationist and the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute. After Goodall’s lifetime contributions and devotion towards wildlife and environmental advocacy, awards were offered posthumously. James Byamukama, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute Uganda, accepted, wearing honors in Goodall’s name. The gratitude extending emotionally to Byamukama and Goodall represented Uganda’s ongoing commitment to appreciating and celebrating people with distinguished careers in conservation and tourism in Africa.

Ekkula Festival and Uganda’s Role in Sustainable Tourism

Ekkula Festival and the Ekkula Awards Night offered Uganda the opportunity to showcase its innovative tourism strategy built around the principle of sustainability. The Ekkula Festival was hosted to showcase Uganda’s diverse culture while also promoting Uganda’s sustainable tourism which is focused on the community and people-centered development tourism. Executive Director of Africa Tourism Excellence Initiative and the founder of the festival, Bismac Moses Amumpaire, emphasised the growing importance of having purposeful tourism within Africa and the hope that Uganda will lead the way in sustainable tourism.

During the proceedings, one of the event’s main partners, ENABEL Uganda, highlighted the importance of international partnerships in promoting sustainable tourism. ENABEL Uganda also stated her commitment to supporting Uganda’s tourism industry to promote the adoption of green innovations, community tourism, and inclusive tourism. This partnership demonstrates the ability of tourism to engender change in Uganda and, more broadly, Africa, showing Uganda’s innovative ability to reconcile conservation with the growth of the tourism industry.

Achievements in the Development of Uganda’s Tourism

Within the framework of the restructuring of African tourism, Uganda, during the festival, presented several national firsts. Among these was the presentation of the Official Seven Wonders of Kampala, which showcases and commemorates the most significant landmarks of the city, for which, as the city’s chief and most patron, one must give great importance. This endeavor enhances and adds value to the promotion of Kampala as a cultural center and provides an avenue for tourists to visit the capital and appreciate it at a deeper level, inclusive of the narratives and historical relevance it embodies.

In a historical accomplishment for the country, Uganda developed its first tourism song, ‘Uganda Ekkula’. This song is a celebration of the country’s diverse natural and cultural attractions and seeks to unite all Ugandans and foreigners visiting the country. Uganda’s tourism story is further celebrated and enhanced by cultural exhibition performances, and Uganda’s tourism ambassadors, including Miss Climate, Miss Tourism Queens, and Men of Tourism, and all these helped showcase the dynamics and the richness of Uganda’s tourism.

Awards and Recognition in Uganda’s Tourism Sector

The Ekkula Festival was also an event to celebrate and recognize exemplary performance in different disciplines and fields of the tourism industry. For example, Sustainable New Hotel/Eco Lodge of the Year went to Acacia Wilderness Mweya while Igongo Country Hotel won the award for Sustainable Hotel of the Year. Tabebuia Spa & Safari Resort and Emburara Farm Lodge also won awards for Sustainable Eco Lodge of the Year and excellence in agro-tourism, respectively.

In the airline industry, the winner of Best Sustainable Airline Award in the Business Class was Brussels Airlines while Ethiopian Airlines was a winner for its COVID-19 sustainable efforts in Economy Class. With these awards, we see the growing accommodation of demand for sustainable travel, and the positive contribution of these airlines in greening the tourism value chain in Africa.

Recognising the Achievements Related to Uganda’s Tourism and Travel Industry

Honoring and incorporating the attained achievements in the distinct and the unique field of attained and sustainable tourism development is what this festival is all about. The accomplishments of Ibrahim Kayondo as The Sustainable Tourism Youth Champion and Evelyn Habasa of Ride for a Woman Bwindi’s achievements as the Woman Champion of Sustainable Tourism for the year 2025 are worth mentioning. Also awarded are Jackline Nanteza as the Rising Woman of Sustainable Tourism and Ambassador Paul Makubuya as Tourism Ambassador of the Year. All of these achievements and awards confirm and shed more light on the contributions of these people to positive transformative change in the travel and tourism of Uganda.

Apart from individual awards, of which Nkuringo Safaris and Rwenzori Trekking Services received for their remarkable achievements in the field of travel and tourism, in the particular field of adventure and nature- tourism, are praised. Also, recently awarded for their achieved excellence in nature tourism is the Nature-Based Solutions & Rwenzori Coffee House Experience, and the Tusker Lite Rwenzori Marathon, which is the winner of the Sustainable Tourism Event of the Year.

Vision for the Future of Uganda’s Tourism Sector

The festival showcased the fact that tourism for Uganda’s communities can be strategically approached as sustainable tourism and not simply as a fad. Uganda is the first country in Africa to practice sustainable tourism as a result of its emphasis on conservation, cultural ecosensitivity, and heritage. As Uganda continues to adopt the philosophy, it is evident that unsustainable, rather than damaging tourism, will focus on the unsustainable model of tourism and continue to be a core value of Uganda’s tourism. Sustainable tourism will continue to positively impact the beneficiaries within the communities and the ecosystems that surround the communities. Uganda’s tourism, recognized by Dr. Jane Goodall, is also a testament to Uganda’s leadership for sustainable conservation and tourism. The festival not only celebrated the achievements of the past, but also opened the doors to a new era of tourism that is Africa’s natural and cultural heritage for the people to Africa.