Uganda is seeking to establish a direct Paris–Entebbe air route by June 2027 as growing demand from the French tourism market faces a major constraint: the cost and travel time of connecting flights.
France sent 7,439 visitors to Uganda in 2025, more than double the number recorded in 2024, placing France among Uganda’s top 10 source markets, according to figures cited by the Embassy of Uganda in France.
The embassy said French visitors spend an average of more than US$2,025 per trip and stay in Uganda for between eight and 15 nights, making the market an increasingly important source of tourism revenue.
However, the lack of a nonstop connection between Paris and Entebbe is proving a challenge for tour operators seeking to sell Uganda to European travellers.
More than 90 per cent of French and Iberian buyers who met Ugandan tour companies at IFTM Top Resa 2026 identified the absence of a direct Paris–Entebbe service as a source of additional cost and travel time, according to the embassy.
The business-to-business tourism fair was held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from 15 to 17 September.
Travellers currently have to connect through regional and international hubs. Available itineraries include Brussels with Brussels Airlines, Cairo with EgyptAir, Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines, Doha with Qatar Airways, Amsterdam with Air France and Dubai with Emirates.
Travel times vary considerably depending on the airline and connection. A recent one-stop Qatar Airways itinerary from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Entebbe took just under 14 hours, while some itineraries can take more than 45 hours.
RwandAir, which operates the route via Kigali, advertised return fares from Paris to Entebbe from US$774 for travel between July and September, with fares rising to €1,048 during the Christmas period.
The Embassy of Uganda said the government is advancing plans for Uganda Airlines to launch a direct Paris service by June 2027.
Uganda Airlines currently serves only one European destination, London Gatwick. The national carrier’s two Airbus A330-800 aircraft were grounded earlier this year for unscheduled maintenance, although London operations resumed on 10 March.
The embassy said a Paris route could be commercially viable, citing France’s position as Uganda’s largest source of foreign direct investment. According to figures it provided, French investment exceeded US$1.6 billion in 2023, accounting for 53 per cent of total inflows.
Paris could also serve as a gateway for travellers from Spain and Portugal, potentially widening the market for Uganda’s tourism products.
The embassy said improved air connectivity could help increase visitor numbers ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
“France already trusts Uganda with big investments, tourism is the natural next step,” said Susan Nakawuki, Minister of State for Tourism, who co-led the Ugandan delegation with Ambassador Doreen Ruth Amule.
Uganda’s presence at IFTM Top Resa also expanded this year. Eleven private Ugandan tour companies participated, compared with five in 2025.
The participating companies were Africa Adventure Vacations, Cheetah Safaris Uganda, Destination Jungle, Grassrootz Adventures, Home to Africa, Ibis Adventures, Kazinga Tours, Let’s Go Travel, Sites Travel Uganda, Tripcare Adventures and Terrace Safaris.
The embassy said each company held an average of between 18 and 22 pre-scheduled meetings with buyers from France, Spain, Portugal and the Benelux countries.
Discussions progressed beyond general destination promotion to commercial issues including rates, room allotments and gorilla permit allocations. The companies also secured contracts for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, according to the embassy.
Gorilla tracking in Bwindi and Mgahinga, Big Five safaris, trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains, adventure activities along the Nile and birding attracted the strongest interest from buyers.
The embassy also highlighted Uganda’s expanding accommodation capacity, including the 181-room Marriott Kampala, Erebero Hills and Namoni Lodge.
The increase in French visitors came amid broader growth in Uganda’s tourism sector. Uganda received 1,642,215 visitors in 2025, a 19.7 per cent increase from the previous year, while tourism receipts rose 21.3 per cent to US$1.62 billion, according to figures cited by the embassy.
The Paris fair also came as Uganda’s tourism industry sought to rebuild confidence following an Ebola outbreak that disrupted bookings earlier this year.
Uganda recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases and two deaths before being declared Ebola-free in late August after completing 42 days without a new case.
The embassy quoted an unnamed French tour operator as saying: “We can finally sell Uganda again without explaining Ebola in every email.”
However, France’s foreign ministry travel advice for Uganda still carried an alert this week concerning the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Uganda’s participation at IFTM Top Resa, its third consecutive appearance at the fair, was coordinated by the embassy together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and the Uganda Tourism Board.
Three buses carrying Uganda tourism branding also operated on central Paris routes during the fair. The embassy estimated that the campaign generated about eight million impressions.
“We are not just here to exhibit, we are here to secure business that creates jobs back home,” Amule told the delegation, according to the embassy
