Uganda POATE2026 public expo

Uganda’s Tourism Board wrapped up the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo, or POATE 2026, on Friday, May 23, after three days of business meetings, public exhibitions, cultural showcases and food-focused consumer events in Kampala. The annual trade show was organized by the Uganda Tourism Board, which describes POATE as Uganda’s tourism and travel marketplace bringing together buyers, exhibitors, media and the public. This year’s edition ran from May 21 to May 23 at Speke Resort Munyonyo and was billed as the 10th edition of the expo. The event combined business-to-business and business-to-consumer programming rather than operating only as an industry fair. ### So what exactly is POATE, beyond the social posts? The Uganda Tourism Board says POATE is an annual tourism and travel trade show that brings together tourism value-chain actors under both business-to-business and business-to-consumer formats. On its official POATE page, the board says the event is designed for networking opportunities, business deals, product showcasing and knowledge exchange. The same page says attendees include global travel professionals, hosted buyers, exhibitors and trade visitors. (utb.go.ug) The official event site describes POATE 2026 as Uganda’s “premier tourism and travel marketplace” and says it was hosted by the Uganda Tourism Board in Munyonyo, Kampala. The site also lists public-facing elements including culture, cuisine and hospitality alongside trade functions such as buyer meetings and exhibitor showcases. ### Why did this year’s expo mix public exhibitions with B2B sessions? (utb.go.ug) POATE 2026 was structured to include both B2B and B2C engagements, according to the Uganda Tourism Board’s event and background pages. That format helps explain why organizers and social posts highlighted public exhibitions, cultural displays and food tastings at the same event where buyers and tourism businesses were meeting. The board says the model is intended to create space for networking, product showcasing and partnerships while also presenting Uganda’s tourism offerings to consumers. (poate.co.ug) The Uganda Tourism Board said before the event that POATE would further position Uganda as a destination for “sustainable, inclusive, and community-led tourism.” In a November 2025 launch statement, UTB Chief Executive Officer Juliana Kagwa said the expo was meant to help the sector reconnect with global markets, while Tourism Minister Tom Butime said it would reinforce partnerships tied to investment, jobs and sustainable development. (utb.go.ug) ### What did organizers say this 2026 edition was trying to showcase? The Uganda Tourism Board said at launch that POATE 2026 would showcase Uganda’s attractions across adventure, wildlife, cultural heritage and meetings, incentives, conferences and events tourism. The event was launched on November 14, 2025, at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel by Tourism Minister Tom Butime under the theme “Wanderlust – It’s Your Time to Thrive.” UTB said then that the expo was expected to attract tourism professionals, international buyers, investors, media and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond. (utb.go.ug) The official POATE site kept the same “Wanderlust” theme and listed partners including the Ministry of Tourism, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Turkish Airlines. The site also identified Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala as the venue. ### Where does the public-facing expo fit in Uganda’s tourism pitch? Uganda Tourism Board says visitors to POATE can experience Uganda’s culture, cuisine and hospitality while trade participants use the same platform to build business relationships. (utb.go.ug) That framing places the public exhibitions and culinary events inside a broader destination-marketing effort, rather than as side entertainment. The board’s own description pairs those consumer-facing experiences with hosted-buyer meetings, seminars and exhibitor activity. (poate.co.ug) A social post cited in the source material said the public exhibitions, cultural showcases, food tastings and B2B activities concluded on May 23. That account matches the structure described on the official POATE and Uganda Tourism Board pages, which say the expo ran through Friday and included both consumer and trade formats. ### What happens after the May 23 close? The POATE 2026 website says registration is closed and continues to host programme, buyer and exhibitor information for the event. (utb.go.ug) The Uganda Tourism Board’s pages do not yet set out a new post-event milestone on the materials reviewed, but the official portal remains the named source for schedules, floor-plan links and organizer contacts after the expo’s May 23 close. (poate.co.ug)