The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa is set to take place in Uganda for the first time in February 2027, marking a significant milestone for the continent’s leading hospitality investment platform.
The announcement was made at a press conference in Kampala, where the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) confirmed its partnership with organisers to host the event, with a clear ambition to showcase the country’s rapidly growing tourism sector and the wealth of opportunities available to investors, developers, and operators.
Uganda’s tourism industry is entering a new phase of expansion. International visitor arrivals have rebounded strongly, surpassing 1.6 million, while tourism earnings have climbed to approximately USD 1.6–1.7 billion, reflecting both recovery and renewed global interest. Backed by increasing government investment, a focus on infrastructure development, and a clear national strategy to grow both leisure and MICE tourism, the country is positioning itself as one of Africa’s most exciting emerging destinations.
Making the formal announcement , Roy Bannister, Business Development Director, FHS Africa, set the stage by underlining what the summit is designed to achieve “FHS Africa is narrowly and deliberately focused on driving investment into the hospitality industry across the continent. We bring global investors, developers, and operators together to assist countries in building out their hospitality sectors. Uganda has been generating an increasingly positive perception on the global stage, and the message is clear Uganda is on the radar. We are excited to bring our event here and to be part of what is shaping up to be boom time for this market.”
Juliana Kagwa, CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board, spoke to the deeper ambition behind Uganda’s decision to host the summit. She says, “Tourism in Uganda is still in its early stages we began serious investment in the sector around 1996 but that is precisely what makes this moment so significant. We are not just looking to increase arrivals; we want to grow foreign direct investment across the entire tourism value chain. We need accommodation, we need beds, we need products and experiences.
Juliana Kagwa, CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board
Uganda is benchmarking itself against the world’s best destinations Thailand, Peru, Ecuador and all of those destinations were built on investment. The government has backed tourism to grow two and a half times faster than any other sector under its ATM strategy. Hosting FHS is about opening Uganda to the world. By the time delegates gather in February 2027, we want to be signing contracts. The Pearl of Africa is ready to become the crown jewel of African hospitality.”
For the Uganda Hotel Owners Association, today’s announcement carries particular personal and institutional weight.
Jean Byamugisha, representing the Uganda Hotel Owners Association, described the moment as a full-circle achievement. She says, “Eight years ago, a delegation from Uganda including the Minister of Tourism, the Permanent Secretary, the chairperson of the Uganda Hotel Owners Association, and industry leader Amos Wekesa travelled to what is now FHS in Nairobi to lobby for Uganda to host this event. What we witnessed there the scale of investment, the deals on the table, the depth of innovation going into tourism and hospitality was both humbling and eye-opening.
It made us realise just how big FHS is, how vast the opportunities in hospitality are, and how much ground Uganda needed to cover. Today is a full-circle moment. As co-hosts, the Uganda Hotel Owners Association is fully committed to making this the best FHS on the continent and ensuring it delivers real, tangible investment into Uganda’s tourism sector. Uganda is the heart of Africa we should be its tourism centre and we have beautiful, untapped destinations still waiting to be discovered.”
The investment case for Uganda’s hospitality sector extends beyond tourism figures alone.
Ritah Mugula of the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) reinforced the broader economic significance of the summit, she says, “Tourism is one of the key drivers of our economy, and we are looking to it to attract significant foreign direct investment and grow the country’s GDP. As visitor numbers grow, we must work in tandem to ensure that the infrastructure particularly in hotels and hospitality keeps pace. Our focus is not only on Uganda but on positioning ourselves within the wider East African region, tapping into both international and intra-regional tourism flows. Attracting global hotel brands and high-end investment creates jobs, builds skills, and creates meaningful opportunities for our young workforce. At UIA, we are open for business, and we are fully committed to working alongside UTB, the Ministry of Tourism, and the private sector to ensure that the investments attracted through platforms like FHS Africa are actualised and deliver lasting economic impact.”
Industry data further supports this momentum. According to Trevor Ward’s 2026 hotel pipeline insights, East Africa and Uganda in particular is seeing increasing investor attention, driven by an under-supply of branded hotels, improving air connectivity, and rising demand for high-quality accommodation. Kampala, alongside key leisure destinations such as Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Park, is expected to see steady development activity, particularly across the upscale and midscale segments.
FHS Africa will convene global investors, hotel brands, developers, government leaders, and tourism stakeholders to explore opportunities across the country’s hospitality ecosystem, from urban hotels in Kampala to eco-lodges and safari experiences. The event will also shine a spotlight on sustainable tourism, regional destination development, and public-private partnerships, all of which are central to Uganda’s long-term growth plans. Ahead of the summit, FHS Africa and the Uganda Investment Authority will collaborate on investment prospectuses, roadshows, and business-to-business engagements to ensure that delegates arrive ready to close deals.
With 2027 also marking Uganda’s hosting of AFCON, the summit takes place at a defining moment for the country’s global profile. As Uganda continues to scale its tourism ambitions and attract international capital, today’s announcement places it firmly at the forefront of Africa’s next wave of hospitality growth.
