Speaker of Parliament R. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga has blasted the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) for failing to facilitate miss tourism Uganda for international competition, saying this is working at the detriment of promoting the tourism sector.
The Speaker made the remarks on Tuesday while meeting with the recently crowned Miss Tourism Uganda Phiona Kyeru who is slated to represent Uganda at the Miss World Tourism competition to be held in Malaysia next month.
Kadaga said, “It hurts that these youths keep coming up to market Uganda but whenever they are in need there is no arrangement to support them. When Quinn Abenakyo came up, no one supported her but when she won, they all came and took pictures.”
The Speaker donated a two-way air ticket to Ms Kyeru and commended the Miss Tourism Foundation for working tirelessly to ensure the awards are held adding it is time Government dropped too much talking and got practical about funding the tourism sector by ensuring the pageants are funded through the annual budget.
“This industry doesn’t have a home and we need to support it more formerly, sometimes we lose opportunities because we don’t have a structured arrangement. I love my heritage and each of you should go on marketing your heritage and your country,” she said.
The Chief Executive Miss Tourism, Mr. Allan Kanyike lashed out at the Uganda Tourism Board for abandoning the Miss Tourism Initiative arguing, “UTB has not helped Kyeru. I don’t know why because they are aware that she is supposed to be travelling for this competition.”
