A hand-picked group of Canadian tour operators, travel agents, and media personalities touched down to day in Uganda on April 8th, kicking off what organisers are calling the country’s most ambitious push yet to crack the North American travel market.
The ten-day familiarization trip, which runs through up to April 18th, was put together by the Uganda High Commission in Canada alongside the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, its agencies, and partners from the private tourism sector. The itinerary is nothing short of a greatest-hits tour of Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee encounters, big-game safaris, white-water rafting at the Source of the Nile, and cultural stops that trace Uganda’s deep and layered history.
The delegation’s first days in Kampala set the tone, with visits to the Namugongo Martyrs Shrines, the Gaddafi National Mosque, and the Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From there, the group heads southwest to what is widely regarded as the trip’s centrepiece: mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to roughly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. A Batwa cultural trail and traditional campfire evening round out the Bwindi experience.
The journey continues to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a sunrise game drive and a four-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, one of Africa’s most breathtaking wildlife spectacles, where buffalo, hippos and an extraordinary variety of birds gather at the water’s edge. Kibale National Park follows, with chimpanzee trekking and a stop at the Sempaya Hot Springs. The final leg brings the group to Jinja, Uganda’s adventure capital, for a Nile boat cruise and tubing on the river.
Before flying home, delegates will sit down for high-level meetings in Kampala with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, and private sector representatives, a reminder that this trip is as much about business as it is about scenery.
Mr Vivian Lyazi the Commissioner for Tourism Development at the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, said Uganda was ready to make its case to the world.
“Uganda is one of the world’s most extraordinary destinations and this familiarization trip is an opportunity for Canada’s travel industry to witness that first-hand. From the mountain gorillas of Bwindi to the shores of the Nile, we are confident that our guests will return home as passionate ambassadors for the Pearl of Africa,” he stated said
Ambassador Allan Kajik, Chargé d’Affaires at the Uganda High Commission in Ottawa, echoed that sentiment, framing the trip as a deliberate long-term investment.
“By bringing influential travel professionals and media voices directly to Uganda, we are creating the most powerful form of personal advocacy experience. We are confident that our guests will return to Canada not just inspired, but determined to send their clients here,” he said.
The trip wraps up on April 18th with a visit to the Uganda Wildlife Conservation and Education Centre in Entebbe before the delegation departs. Organisers are hoping the initiative will generate meaningful media coverage across Canada and the broader North American market, and translate into real growth in visitor numbers a significant jump from the 10,370 Canadian visitors Uganda recorded in 2025.
Uganda has been quietly but steadily building its global tourism reputation in recent years, with mountain gorilla trekking leading the charge. Canada, with its large, affluent, and well-travelled middle class, has long been seen as an untapped opportunity. This trip is Uganda’s clearest signal yet that it intends to change that.