UGANDA – Uganda has landed a major lucrative deal to host 11th International Congress of the African Society of Blood Transfusion planned for 1st to 4th March 2024, the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) said in a press release.
Uganda has been selected to host the next Africa Society for Blood Transfusion conference after a successful bid was accepted by Uganda Blood Transfusion Society (UBTS) with the technical help of Uganda’s Convention Bureau, unit in Uganda Tourism Board.
Uganda Blood Transfusion Service Dr. Dorothy Kyeyune Byabazaire said that by hosting the congress, the UBTS shall benefit through participation in scientific write-ups, medical research and knowledge exchange hence gaining recognition for the contribution to science.
Dr. Dorothy Kyeyune Byabazaire expressed UBTS’s commitment to make the Africa Blood Transfusion Conference a successful event with support from the Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders, adding that it is an opportunity for Uganda to showcase what it can do.
Uganda Tourist Board (UTB) is a statutory organisation established by the Uganda Tourist Board Statute 1994. The Board’s mandate is to promote and popularise Uganda as a viable holiday destination both locally and internationally.
Furthermore, Uganda hosting the 11th International Congress of the African Society of Blood Transfusion will significantly contribute to Uganda Tourism Board’s initiative to tap into international conferences in a bid to increase the number of people visiting the country’s tourist attractions.
UTB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lilly Ajarova said the conference will contribute to Uganda’s GDP to a tune of about US$0.6 million as well as attract approximately 500 delegates with 75% to come from across the African continent and 25% outside Africa from international markets.
CEO Lilly Ajarova reassured that they are working relentlessly to ensure Uganda becomes a conference destination market, noting that Uganda winning the bid to host the next conference is an indicator that the efforts have begun to bear fruit.
“Uganda Convention Bureau’s target between 2022 and 2025 is to attract 130 business events in the region with a value of US$100 million to Uganda through such bidding activities,” Lilly Ajarova disclosed.
Ajarova further said that Uganda hosting the Africa Society for Blood Transfusion conference should be the beginning of making Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) a key product for the country.
“In 2019, the International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA) had ranked Uganda sixth in Africa for hosting international association conferences and the target was to improve Uganda’s ranking to be among the top five destinations in Africa,” explained the UTB Chief Executive Officer.
The Uganda Tourism Board boss highlighted that through the Uganda Convention Bureau, UTB partners with different ministries, departments and agencies, professional associations and universities to increase business events through the bidding process.
CEO Lilly Ajarova further said that the Bureau targets regional and international government and non- government conferences that are held periodically and rotate across the globe in order to contribute to the economic impact of Uganda.
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