Ms Anita Rukundo Tayebwa, the newly appointed honorary consul of The Bahamas to Uganda, has pledged to strengthen links between the two countries’ tourism sectors to help Uganda benefit from The Bahamas’ experience.
She made the remarks on Thursday evening after presenting her letters of credence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Amb. Adonia Ayebare, in Kampala.
Rukundo said Uganda could learn from the Caribbean nation’s success in attracting international visitors and generating tourism revenue. Although The Bahamas is significantly smaller than Uganda in both geographical size and population, she noted that it has developed a much stronger tourism sector.
She said The Bahamas attracted more than 12 million international visitors in 2025, compared with approximately 1.6 million visitors to Uganda during the same period.
She added that The Bahamas generated about US$5.27 billion in tourism receipts in 2025, compared with Uganda’s estimated US$1.62 billion. She said the figures demonstrate the need for Uganda to strengthen its international tourism marketing and learn from countries that have successfully developed the sector.
“We hope to bridge the gap between The Bahamas and Uganda. We hope to promote tourism… With this relationship, we hope to attract more people to come and visit Uganda,” she said.
Rukundo identified destination marketing, hospitality and resort development, visitor experience management, international tourism investment, branding and promotion as areas in which Uganda could benefit from The Bahamas’ experience through partnerships and knowledge exchange.
She also said her office would focus on helping Ugandan tour operators develop complementary tourism packages showcasing the distinct attractions of both countries. This, she said, would require linking tourism industry players and government agencies in the two countries.
“We are looking at how we can have the private sector get into The Bahamas and vice versa. With the ministry’s support, we are assured we will be able to achieve this,” she said.
Ayebare said Uganda had high expectations of Rukundo, expressing confidence that her appointment would benefit the country.
“The figures speak for themselves; we will count on you to tap the best practices from them. Uganda will benefit immensely from your representation,” Ayebare said.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa said he was excited to see his wife take on the role in her own right, adding that it is important for men to support their spouses.
“The public doesn’t know that she is the mover behind the scenes, running the businesses. I know her potential when it comes to execution,” he said.
Tayebwa said she had told him about her interest in helping Uganda tourism operators to attract high-spending tourists by leveraging the country’s unique attractions, including mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.
“The Bahamas is very unique in many ways. On top of having big numbers in terms of tourism, they also attract ultra-wealthy and high-value tourists.
Amos Wekesa, a prominent tourism investor, said Rukundo could help Uganda unlock the tourism potential of its water bodies, particularly Lake Victoria. He argued that Uganda could generate significantly more tourism revenue by developing its water-based tourism sector.
King Ceasar Mulenga, the Honorary Consul of Vietnam to Uganda, also described the appointment as significant. “I have no doubt you will strengthen trade and people-to-people bilateral ties between our two Commonwealth nations,” he noted.
