Uganda’s tourism and events industry has moved to strengthen coordination and advocacy efforts with the appointment of Demo Riley as President of the National Tourism Events Organizers Federation (NTEOF), an umbrella body representing more than 40 tourism and cultural event organizers across the country.
NTEOF was established with support from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) to promote advocacy, collaboration, coordination, and sustainable growth within Uganda’s tourism events sector.
The federation’s leadership includes some of the industry’s leading figures, with Demo Riley serving as President, Aly Alibhai of Talent Africa as Vice President, and tourism entrepreneur Amos Wekesa as Chairman.
Speaking about the federation’s objectives, Riley said NTEOF was created to provide a collective platform for tourism and cultural event organizers.
“NTEOF was formed to unite tourism event organizers, strengthen advocacy efforts, and create a platform through which the sector can collectively engage government, development partners, and private sector stakeholders,” he said.
Although formally established five months ago, the federation has already engaged government ministries and agencies that supported its formation and organizational structure. Its first major public appearance was at the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE), where it highlighted the contribution of tourism events to Uganda’s economy.
According to data from the Uganda Tourism Research Development Centre, events organized by NTEOF members contribute more than UGX 70 billion annually through tourism, hospitality, transportation, entertainment, and related sectors.
Globally, tourism events generate an estimated USD 1.5 trillion in economic activity, with event tourists spending nearly twice as much as traditional leisure travelers. Industry leaders say this demonstrates the significant potential of events tourism to drive economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen destination marketing.
Despite the sector’s growing contribution, Riley said event organizers continue to face major operational challenges, particularly the high cost of security deployment.
He noted that organizers often spend tens of millions of shillings on security for a single event while also contributing significant tax revenues through the 18 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) charged on tickets.
“Events drive tourism arrivals, accommodation bookings, youth employment, SME growth, creative industry development, and national branding. Yet organizers continue to shoulder enormous operational costs, especially security deployment, which remains one of the sector’s biggest challenges,” Riley explained.
Riley said adequate security support is critical not only for the success of events but also for safeguarding Uganda’s reputation as a safe and attractive tourism destination.
As preparations for the federation’s official launch continue, NTEOF is calling on policymakers, tourism stakeholders, private sector players, and development partners to recognize tourism events as a strategic economic sector deserving greater support and investment.
The launch is expected to bring together government officials, tourism leaders, investors, event organizers, media representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss the future of events tourism and its role in national development.
With a growing membership base and increasing industry influence, NTEOF aims to play a central role in shaping policies and opportunities that will strengthen Uganda’s tourism and cultural events industry in the years ahead.