BusinessTravel Guide
KAMPALA
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A safe haven for business and leisure travellers
K A M P A L A
KAMPALA Uganda’s capital is the economic, cultural and logistical epicentre of the country, a city growing in stature as more and more tourists touch down each year Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray
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LYING IN THE hills just north of Lake Victoria, Kampala is both Uganda’s capital and largest city. As with many African capitals, its roots lie in a colonial past, on this occasion with the British Empire and Captain Frederick Lugard, who in 1890 set up a fort headquarters for the British East Africa Company. This sat just north of Mengo, the capital of the Kingdom of Buganda in the 19th century. Lugard’s base remained the administrative HQ until 1905 when the decision was made to relocate to Entebbe. However, following full independence in 1962, Kampala became the capital once more. Today the city is considered among the safest in East Africa and an ideal location for businesses to base regional operations.
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FACTS & FIGURES Country: Area: Population (2018): Currency: Time zone: Dialling code: Internet TLD: Climate:
Uganda 189 km2 1.35 million Ugandan shilling East Africa Time (GMT+3) +256 41 .ug Tropical rainforest
For the both the business and leisure traveller, the city is also upping its game when it comes to modernisation of tourist offerings, not least through its provision of some stunning five-star hotels. The city, and Uganda more widely,
is starting to see more big-name accommodation brands arrive, proof that international investors are showing confidence. Combine this with the rising number of visitors, and the future for Kampala’s travel sector looks bright.
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The Business End
KAMPALA IS LO CATED in Uganda’s most productive agricultural region, reflected by the fact that the city exports significant volumes of coffee, cotton, tea, sugar, and tobacco. In terms of industry, the city is home to food processing plants, metal production facilities, furniture factories and even a tractor assembly site, and is also home to many of the country’s largest firms’ headquarters. However, Kampala is not the major industrial city in Uganda – this is Jinja, around 65 kilometres to the east. The World Bank identifies Kampala as central to the prospects of wider Ugandan economic growth, calling for investment in the Greater Kampala
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region as a means to benefit the whole country. Christina Malmberg Calvo, World Bank Country Manager in Uganda, commenting on the publication of a recent report, said: “Over two-thirds of Greater Kampala’s businesses are informal. Local governments need to enable small and micro-entrepreneurs to access affordable, well-located land and premises, and provide public transport to link people with jobs and enterprises with customers.” While Greater Kampala accounts for only about 10 percent of Uganda’s population, it generates a third of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 46 percent of its formal workers.
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Out & About FROM CHAOTIC SHOPPING streets to a garden city vibe as you venture up Nakasero Hill, Kampala is a hotbed of culture that offers something for everyone. Although it does not possess a museum dedicated to arts, the city does house several galleries which offer a broad contemporary art scene through monthly shows and permanent exhibitions. Kampala is also home to Uganda’s national theatre and many live music venues. In terms of wining and dining, there are a deluge of quality restaurants covering a huge variety of cuisines thanks to the international makeup of the population.
Street food can also be found in abundance, while coffee houses are also in good supply. Further afield, numerous companies offer a diverse range of activities to enjoy, from multi-day trips to Murchison Falls National Park and source of the Nile tours to gorilla trekking and guided walks through Kampala itself. There are also many sites of religious and cultural significance scattered through the city, including the Baha’i Temple, Gaddafi National Mosque and Uganda Martyrs Shrine.
Murchison Falls
Gaddafi National Mosque
Baha’i Temple
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Source of the Nile Hotel
Welcome to the Source of the Nile Hotel... Situated only 5 minutes from the source of the great river Nile, our range of luxurious rooms offer our guests a delightful choice of garden, terrace or Nile views. Our excellent restaurant caters for all tastes with its a la carte, table d’hote and buffet menus. Or, if you prefer al fresco dining, light snacks and drinks can be enjoyed in our extensive manicured gardens.
Accommodation Our twin rooms are spacious with two large beds and fully equipped with all the essentials that luxury-seeking individuals could need.
Plot 31-37 Bridge Street, Jinja
+256 434 123 034 / 790 911 318
Restaurant & Bar
Ronference Rooms
Our first-class restaurant draws a wide range of visitors, as it features both local and exotic cuisines that are second to none, with à la carte, table d’hôte, and buffet options. If you prefer al fresco dining, light snacks and drinks can be enjoyed in our expansive riverfront gardens.
With four conference rooms ranging in capacity from 10 to 300 people and two outdoor garden options for 500 or 2,000 people, the Source of the Nile Hotel can cater to all of your event needs. From conferences and weddings to dinners and meetings, our capable staff will handle all of the details so you can focus on hosting your event with confidence and class.
info@sourceofthenilehotel.ug
www.sourceofthenilehotel.com
T A N K M ZP A AN L AI A
Uganda Hotel Owners’ Association FOUNDED IN 2000, the Uganda Hotel Owners’ Association (UHOA) formed with a purpose of uniting hotel owners to work towards common goals and have their voices heard at the wider tourism industry level. The organisation has more than 500 members on its books and is represented on the Uganda Tourism Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority. Jean Byamugisha is the Association’s Executive Director and, having spoken to us earlier in 2018, gives us an update on how the sector is progressing.
breakfast meeting here in Kampala. Besides this, Kampala is also one The hotel sector in Uganda is growing of the safest cities on the African at a very fast pace. We are honoured continent. Not to mention the friendly and proud to be a part of this progress. people, amazing weather and great cuisine that’s on offer for all our guests. AfO: What key projects have you Uganda is a country truly gifted by been working on recently? nature; the equator passes through JB: We have been trying to think Uganda, the snow at the top of Mount outside the box. You gain more when Rwenzori as well as the amazing flora you speak with people in much more and fauna. Kampala is a city that’s developed markets that your own. becoming more modern everyday with In May 2018, we led a delegation of beautiful five-star hotels open to the 20 hotel owners to Chicago to meet public. Uganda has something to offer with fellow hoteliers, service providers every guest, from the budget tourist to as well as hotel experts. This was an the luxury tourist. Africa Outlook (AfO): How has eye-opening trip for the Uganda hotel Uganda Hotel Owners’ Association owners who got to see first-hand the AfO: What more needs to be done developed and progressed since we last changing trends of the hospitality to improve Kampala and featured you? sector on an international scale. Uganda’s tourism industry? Jean Byamugisha (JB): UHOA has In October, we also met hoteliers JB: We need to have more grown leaps and bounds in the last at the African Hotel Investment marketing to improve the tourism year since you featured us. We have Forum that was held in Nairobi. We industry. Most of the world still registered more members, grown got to make business linkages as well knows Uganda as the country of Iddi our secretariat to include two new as develop partnerships with hotel Amin. We are much more than that. staff, attended more international investors looking to set up new hotels We need to sound our own trumpet meetings that have opened up in Uganda. We were proud to note to the rest of the world. Uganda is business opportunities, and have that Uganda is increasingly becoming without a doubt one of the world’s addressed hoteliers at the Africa Hotel a destination of choice for both most beautiful and safest countries, Investment Forum. travellers as well as investors. and publications like this will help us We also worked together with the showcase that. Uganda Tourism Board to host the AfO: Taking a more general Founder of the Ritz Carlton Hotel industry stance, how would you AfO: Finally, looking forward, if Company, Mr Horst Schultze, at a evaluate the tourism sector in Uganda? we were to speak again in a year’s JB: On a general note, the tourism time, what progress and development industry in Uganda has been growing would you hope and expect to be able steadily for the last two years. The to report back? international arrivals are a testament JB: We hope to have registered to this. Tourist numbers grew from 1.4 more members and become a more million in 2016 to 1.5 million in 2017. This powerful and robust private sector is no easy feat. body. As a country, we hope to record more international arrivals AfO: Why, in your opinion, should for the year 2018. We also hope to someone visit Uganda? have more international hotels in JB: Uganda is the new frontier when operation employing more young it comes to Tourism in Africa. We see people and increasing the tax base a few more big brand hotels opening of our economy. In a year, Uganda up shop in Uganda, a sign of investor should be ready to host a few major confidence in the economy. international conferences in Kampala.
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Silver Springs Hotel is our premier choice of accommodation for a family, leisure or business trip. Experience first-class service in our standard rooms, executive deluxe rooms and executive suites. We have ultra-modern facilities that leave our customers smiling with full satisfaction, including: • 11 different air-conditioned halls, dinners and cocktail parties, fine dining of local and international cuisines in the restaurant and our corporate bars. • State-of-the-art gym, sauna, steam bath, salt room and an Olympic size swimming pool. We endeavour to go the extra mile to make sure that all our customer needs are met.
Reservations +256 758 508 421 Tel +256 755 553 062 silverspringshotel@yahoo.com reservations@silverspringshotelug.com
www.silverspringshotelug.com
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K A M P A L A
Outlook Recommends “As the heartland of the Buganda kingdom, Kampala has a rich and colourful history, visible in several fascinating palaces and compounds� - Lonely Planet
HOSPITALITY
FOOD & DRINK
ACTIVITIES
La Cabana Restaurant
Parliament House Uganda National Museum Kampala City Tours
Source of the Nile Hotel Lying just a few minutes from the source of the River Nile, this hotel offers a choice of 45 luxury rooms with garden, terrace and river views. The Source of the Nile Hotel also caters to a range of events and hosting needs thanks to its versatile function space.
NATURE The Copper Chimney Budongo Forest Reserve tour
Holiday Express Hotel Kampala Serena Hotel
Lake Mburo National Park
Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort
Katonga Wildlife Reserve
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The Lawns
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Transport Links KAMPALA, AS WELL as sitting in the agricultural and economic heart of Uganda, also represents the major hub for transport. It is the focal point of the country’s road network and sits on the key rail link from Kasese in the west to Mombasa, the capital of Kenya. Port Bell, located 10 kilometres east on Lake Victoria, also serves routes to nearby Tanzania and Kenya. Most international visitors to Kampala will arrive via Entebbe International Airport, Uganda’s major international transport centre which lies around 45 kilometres southwest of the capital. In 2017 the airport reach a significant milestone, serving over 1.5 million passengers for the first time, recording a strong eight percent growth on
2016’s figure. Some 99 percent of all travellers passing through either arrived or departed on an international flight, with Ethiopian Airlines the most used carrier. In February 2017, the airport welcomed the arrival of Kenyan budget airline Jambojet’s inaugural service from Nairobi, which runs twice daily between the two cities.
With Kampala’s population growing at a rate of around four percent a year, it is vital that Entebbe and other transport routes are able to accommodate what will continue to be a growing demand for travel services.
Crystal Suites is a top class urban resort and self contained destination in the City. Crystal Suites is a cool haven of relaxation in the middle of one of the Africa’s most vibrant cities. With it’s beautiful Atrium, sparkling Crystal self contained guest rooms and bathrooms. It’s location is off the main road provides it’s customers an environment free from the urban pollution.
• Furnished apartments • Catering services • Hotel Facilities • Airport transfer • Internet (Wireless) • Conference Facilities • Guest laundry • Shoe shinning • Secure parking
+256 (0)41 4259087 | www.crystalsuitesug.com
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Landmark Attractions Kasubi Tombs
“The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi constitute a site embracing almost 30 hectares of hillside within Kampala district. Most of the site is agricultural, farmed by traditional methods. At its core on the hilltop is the former palace of the Kabakas of Buganda, built in 1882 and converted into the royal burial ground in 1884” – UNESCO
Baha’i Temple
“Visit the mother Temple of the Bahai faith in Africa. And just like the faith it represents, the Bahai temple is no ordinary house of worship. Sitting on 52 acres of land, the temple is a unique architectural masterpiece…This park-like environment attracts many people who sit on the grass and have a peaceful moment” – Visit Kampala
Mengo Palace
“Built in 1922, this small palace is the former home of the king of Buganda, though it has remained empty since 1966 when Prime Minister Milton Obote ordered a dramatic attack to oust Kabaka Mutesa II, then president of Uganda… The building’s interior cannot be visited, but the notorious underground prison here is open to tours” – Lonely Planet
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U G A N D A Mpanga Central Forest Reserve
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Mpanga Central Forest Reserve
“Mpanga Central Forest Reserve is a natural forest with unique tree species and other flora. The forest also boasts of a number of primates, especially the red-tailed monkeys, an array of birdlife including grey parrots, owls, hornbills and cuckoos, butterflies and moths” – National Forest Authority
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BusinessTravel Guide joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 676
ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 672
jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 668
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