Joshua Cheptegei becomes Uganda Tourism Ambassador
Joshua Cheptegei becomes Uganda Tourism Ambassador: Athlete and world champion Joshua Cheptegei is the new Uganda Tourism Ambassador 2021. The Ugandan long-distance runner and world record holder was unveiled as the Uganda Tourism Ambassador on 10th February 2021 by the Uganda Tourism Board at a function that was held at the Uganda Golf Club Kampala.
Cheptegei has now joined the likes of Zari the boss lady, Eddy Kenzo and others as a Uganda brand Ambassador whose main role is to market Uganda to the region and the world at large.
The runner’s unveiling as the Uganda Tourism ambassador has come at a time when the Ugandan tourism industry like many others across the world is rebuilding from the effects of the COVID19 pandemic.
Cheptegei’s coming on board as an Ambassador is one of the strategies the Uganda Tourism Board is using to boast the tourism industry and invite tourists to the country once again.
Lilly Ajarova the CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board actually remarked that bringing Joshua Cheptegei on board as one of Uganda’s brand ambassadors is part of the board’s efforts to boast the tourism industry in Uganda as the industry continues to pick up from the losses and damages caused by the COVID19 pandemic.
The Ugandan Tourism Industry has been on a steady growth curve since 2015 through to 2019 with an average tourist increase of 4% each year with a revenue growth of 1.5 million in 2019 from 1.27 million in 2015.
In 2020 the Uganda Tourism Board had projected revenue of about 1.6 million from the different tourism activities in the country however because of the COVID19 pandemic this projection was not met and several developments in the industry were greatly affected.
Though the tourism industry is open again and all tourism sites in the country welcoming visitors, the fear of contracting the COVID19 virus and the many travel restrictions and measures put on the travellers because of the pandemic have been the major cause of declining number of visitors to the country.
Despite this the Uganda Tourism Board is determined to rebuild the tourism industry and attract many more visitors to the country both regional and intra- African visitors especially during the second half of the year 2021.
The appointment of Joshua Cheptegei as the country’s brand ambassador is one of the ways the board is doing this.
The world champion and recorder holder, said at the unveiling that he was very happy to contribute to country’s tourism industry and foreign revenue; and said that this deal he has entered in with the Uganda Tourism Board to promote Uganda to the world, has given him more courage to even work harder to win more titles as he carries the country’s flag high.
In his words he said “I’m delighted to be here to express solidarity with stakeholders in the tourism sector. I am grateful for having been chosen me for this huge responsibility. I accept it with all humility and honour.” He continued on to say that “Much as Uganda is well endowed, it is not enough, if the world does not know about it. It is our responsibility as Ugandans to shout on top of the mountains and down in the valleys to everybody across the world.”
The Uganda Tourism brand Ambassador Deal will include Joshua Cheptegi using his platforms, Images, videos and other things to promote Uganda as a top tourism destination to the world and in turn the Uganda tourism board will support Cheptegei’s athletics activities in the region and internationally.
Joshua Cheptegei was born in Uganda in 1996 and records show he has been running since his childhood. Cheptegei is a long-distance runner and world record holder who broke the 10,000 m world record in 2020 in Valencia Spain; the record had been held by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele for 15 years. Prior to breaking the 10,000m world record, Cheptegei had broken the 5000m record in Monaco in 2020, the 5km and 10km road record in February and December of 2019 respectively. In 2018 he set the world the 15km world record and became a world champion in 2019. Cheptegei has also won several silver medals and is the 10th person in history to hold both the 5000 and 10,000 m record simultaneously.
The runner’s impeccable record is one of the reasons the Uganda Tourism Board chose him as the Uganda brand ambassador for this year 2021.
