STATEMENT BY H.

E YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI, AT

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE UGANDA GIANTS
CONSERVATION AND TOURISM INVESTMENT FORUM

Wednesday 19th July 2017

1. Uganda will be hosting the Uganda Giants Club

Conservation and Tourism Investment Forum on Friday 6th
October 2017. The Forum is aimed at launching a new initiative
to attract tourism into Uganda, make it a destination for high-
end paying clients, and secure long-term sources of funding for
the protection and maintenance of Ugandas Protected Area
network.

2. Tourism has distinguished itself as a productive sector with

the ability to transform Uganda from a predominantly peasant
society to middle income level. The Investment Forum specifically
seeks to create strategies to contribute to increase Tourist
arrivals from the 1,323,000 in 2016 to 4,084,000 in 2020; foreign
exchange earnings from US$ 1.371 billion to US$2.7 billion in
2020; promote job creation; and increase the contribution of
tourism to GDP from Shillings 7.3 trillion to shillings 14.68
trillion at the end of the FY 2020.

3. This initiative will deliver the following:

a. The delivery of an investment framework to drive tourism

into Uganda, make it a destination for high-end paying clients,
and secure long-term sources of funding for the protection and
maintenance of Ugandas protected area network.

b. The staging of the Uganda Giants Club Conservation and

Tourism Investment Forum and launching the investment
framework that meets the above objectives.

c. The continued implementation of the financial mechanisms,

creating an enabling environment and investment framework
after the Forum has been held and to continue to secure
investment into Ugandas Protected Areas.
4. The Investment Forum is intended to spur long term
investment as a strategic platform and a means to provide
tourism product diversification so as to further increase visitor
numbers and secure reliable revenue for the enhanced protection
of Ugandas biodiversity conservation areas.

5. The NRM Government shall ensure that incentives are

created for the investors, as part of the inward investment
provided by them and under the Public Private Partnership
Policy, for them to contribute towards conservation programmes
where they invest.

6. I would like to thank our partners on this project:

a. The Giants Club, the conservation initiative administered by

the conservation organization Space for Giants that I am
delighted to be a founding member of. The Giants Club has
worked hard, and spent considerable financial resources, in
developing this initiative and I am thankful to see its true
commitment to Uganda demonstrated so strongly.

b. The United Nations Development Programme, which has

brought its expertise and is providing such invaluable support in
shaping this initiative.

c. The African Wildlife Foundation which is helping the

successful delivery of this initiative.

7. This announcement today is an important step in our

commitment to unlocking the new and innovative investment
models needed to effectively protect our most beautiful
landscapes and wildlife for the benefit of the Ugandan people. By
inviting conservation-motivated investors to help build a nature-
based economy, we will rehabilitate and manage Ugandas
network of Protected Areas while delivering economic growth.

8. I am tasking the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities

together with the Giants Club to collaborate in the delivery of the
Investment Forum in October 2017.
9. As part of the preparations for delivering the forum, I am
today officially launching the Uganda Giants Club Conservation
and Tourism Investment Forum.

FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY