KIKOOKO AFRICA SAFARIS, a travel agency from Uganda broke the headlines in Zurich this weekend showcasing at one of the busiest stands in the annual Zurich International Tourism Exhibition, (FESPO) 30 Jan- 2 Feb 2025.

The FESPO in Zurich is a specialized trade fair focused on holidays and travel. The name "FESPO" is derived from the initial letters of "Ferien" (holidays) and "Sport" (sports), indicating the fair's focus on vacation travel and leisure activities. Since its inception in 1990, FESPO has evolved into a significant event in the trade fair calendar, occurring annually at the end of January or beginning of February.

The fair is notable for the presence of numerous holiday destinations, represented by on-site representatives. These experts offer valuable tips for memorable, exciting, relaxing, or extraordinary vacations and are available for comprehensive, personal advice.

Despite FESPO being the largest fair in Switzerland, Uganda was only represented by a single travel agency, Kikooko Africa Safaris. The Managing Director, Mr Warren Rutanga was evidently excited and beamed with smiles as he ushered in hundreds of visitors to his stand, authoritatively and passionately convincing his visitors that Uganda is the place to explore and the best destination in the continent.

Kokooko offers tailor made, specialized visits to all parks in Uganda, with the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to more than 60% of the Mountain Gorillas in the entire region, and indeed the entire globe, the envy and most sought-after destination by many of the visitors at the 3-day event.

The eagerness and excitement expressed in the eyes of the visitors at the Kikooko stall, and in various other stands showcasing Uganda, was clear evidence that inbound tourism to Uganda from Switzerland is a real potential and presents a great opportunity for Uganda to invest in.

For this to be realized, there is need for a deliberate and targeted effort to mobilize the entire government infrastructure and its agencies, together with the private sector, to develop and pursue an all-inclusive stakeholder strategy.

As much as we applaud Kikooko Africa Safaris for a job well done, his consistency to show case in every single year of FESPO for more than three years in a row, one entity can’t generate the necessary spike required to have Switzerland as our tourism generator in Europe.

The Uganda Mission in Geneva hopes that this experiment from a single travel entity can be replicated and leveraged as a benchmark for future intense tourism promotion initiatives that would attract Swiss tourists to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.