Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The Buganda Kingdom has launched a new online platform, visitbuganda.com designed to boost tourism within the Kingdom.
The web portal serves as an online marketplace where all tourism-related services can be accessed. It also showcases the various tourism attractions that Buganda has to offer to the world.
The portal was developed through a partnership with the private technology company Tripesa, benefiting both parties. The kingdom gains enhanced tourism capabilities, while Tripesa expands its market reach.
Speaking at the portal launch during a side event at the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) at the Munyonyo Convention Center, Robert Kasozi, Executive Director of the Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board (BHTB), emphasized that digitizing tourism will bring the kingdom’s hidden treasures closer to the target market without compromising conservation efforts.
Kasozi explained that for Buganda to effectively conserve its culture, there must be a balance between digitalization and outreach. The visitbuganda.com portal aims to empower the private sector to reach the market and promote tourism in the Buganda Kingdom.
“As you know, Buganda is a well-researched destination and among the most written-about subjects in Africa, so we have so many people who may want to visit Buganda but don’t have access to tour operators, hotels, but the visit Buganda.com portal is where tourists who want to visit can book a hotel, a ride, and many other things at a click of a button,” Kasozi stated.
He further mentioned that since the launch of the online portal, they have engaged numerous stakeholders promoting Buganda’s culture and experiential tourism. The marketplace will empower communities and build capacity, involving everyone in the digital future while preserving the kingdom’s culture and heritage.
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“We are not keeping people out of business but we are in an era where people want to serve themselves. Why should I first ask someone to give an experience when I can just use my phone and choose and do many other things on my phone,” Kasozi added.
David Gonahasa, co-founder of Tripesa, highlighted that Tripesa aims to democratize access to technology in the tourism business. He noted that they have developed a user-friendly tool that enables even those with low technology skills to create marketplaces.
During POATE, Tripesa launched three portals: Visit Buganda, Visit Rwenzori, and the Young Tour Operators Marketplace. This technology, which previously cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, is now available at a much lower cost.
