Tourism and National Identity in Uganda

Over the last decade, international tourism has grown rapidly in Uganda. This has been planned by a small consortium of tourism officials working with the central government. Through data obtained from interviews with Ugandan tourism officials, this paper critically assesses their understandings of tourism's role in Uganda's development. Officials conceptualise tourism as a means of constructing a positive national identity for foreign consumption, and hope that a positive national identity abroad will increase foreign investment and spark development. This research considers (re) presentations of the nation and the way(s) in which Uganda is being developed as a tourist destination. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.