UCC, UTB ink 5-year deal to boost investment in film industry

The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) have signed a deal that will see the two government agencies work together to ramp up investment in and promotion of film-induced tourism in Uganda.

The was signed on August 3 by UTB and UCC executive directors Lilly Ajarova and Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo respectively.

“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,” Ajarova said at the signing of the deal. 

On her part, Sewankambo said: “We shall join hands to maximize 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.”

The partnership was mooted during a December 2019 meeting between the two directors.

UCC and UTB are two government agencies with two distinct mandates. However, they share profound enthusiasm for the film industry in Uganda, having identified it as a potential driver of tourism, among other benefits.

Later, UTB picked interest in sponsoring the Uganda Film Festival (UFF), which run under the theme: ‘Film and Tourism in the Pearl of Africa’.

As platinum sponsors, UTB funded the premiere of a movie and offered the Lifetime Achievement Award – a trip for two to Murchison Falls National Park for three days.

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.