The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) on August 3rd 2020 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) in a bid to boost the country’s film and tourism industry despite the challenges posed by the Coronavirus outbreak.
According to pmldaily.com, the five-year partnership is aimed at using broadcasters in Uganda to promote the tourism sector by making films, publishing and broadcasting all contents about Uganda tourist sites to the outside world.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at her office in Kampala, UTB CEO Lilly Ajarova said “Our goal is to improve various already existing tourism products such as film and ensure that enough investment and promotion goes in that area so that the sector can thrive, especially during these unprecedented times where digital visual communication is vital for destination promotion.”
On her part, UCC Ag. Executive Director Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo said: “We shall join hands to maximise opportunities and return on investment in film tourism, promote investment in film production in a bid to create employment, and lobby for tax incentives on film production costs within Destination Uganda.”
Among other things, the MoU is expected to tackle issues such as improved connectivity and cost of the internet, support for digital marketing of Destination Uganda, and profiling of film locations.
It could be recalled that when UTB CEO Lilly Ajarova visited UCC head offices in Bugolobi in December 2019, she made it clear that the two bodies’ shared enthusiasm for the promotion of film in Uganda should be formalized. In UCC, she had found a willing partner, so her suggestion was promptly embraced
