Thousands of tourism enthusiasts flocked Sheraton Hotel on Saturday to witness the crowing of Miss Tourism Uganda 2013/2014.
The pageant is organised by the Ministry of tourism and antiquities to market Uganda globally.The winner was Barbara Nakkito, 22, while the first and second runners up were Shamin Nakanyuka 24, and Aisha Nagudi, 24 respectively.
Barbara Nakkito is tasked with promoting Uganda tourism domestically and internationally, showcase Uganda’s diverse and rich tourism offering (flora, fauna, culture, history, food etc) and increase public-Private sector participation/funding in tourism.
15 contestants were unveiled on 6th September and after a tour of Uganda’s top tourist destinations, the number was reduced to nine by the judges. They visited places like Murchison Falls National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and the Source of the Nile among others.
The pageant got a much needed boost early this month when the Association of Airlines in Uganda led by Benjamin Puissant, a top official at Brussels airlines offered the finalist trips to different destinations of Africa and the world. The contestants were supposed to travel with a media person but the system of picking the media personalities was corrupted by some of the organizers. Brussels Airlines, KLM, South African Airways, Air Uganda, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya airways, Rwanda Air, and Turkish Airlines came on board and took the contestants to Turkey, South Africa, Rwanda, Netherlands, Kenya, Ethopia, England, and Belgium.
Barbara Nakkito walked away with the crown of Miss Tourism Uganda 2013 and she is The Pearl’s Tourism Ambassador to the world.
Additional reporting from NV and UgandaTourism *[katogoaward]*