Routes Africa is the only network planning forum for the African region and the 8thRoutes Africa event was officially launched earlier this week. The event will take place in Kampala, Uganda on 7-9 July 2013 and will be hosted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda and Entebbe International Airport.

250 key decision makers from across Africa and beyond are expected to gather at the annual event in 2013 to discuss air service development. The event attracts a wide range of carriers interested in developing air routes in Africa such as South African Airways, Kulula.com, Kenya Airways, Etihad and Air Mauritius who have all attended the event in previous years.

The event will revolve around a series of pre-scheduled, Face-to-Face Meetings, an Exhibition and a Strategy Forum that brings together thought leaders and decision makers from across the region’s aviation sector under one roof to discuss the hottest topics facing the industry. The meetings held at the event will generate new air services and create hotel and tourism demand which can translate into a huge economic impact into local, national and international economies.

Uganda, known as the ‘Pearl of Africa’, will be the destination for next year’s Routes Africa event and the CAA intend to raise the profile of Entebbe International Airport, and Uganda as a whole, to airlines from all over the world by hosting the largest route development forum for the entire Africa region, which is now in its 8thyear.

The tourism sector in Uganda has an annual growth rate of 21% on average, contributing 24% of the total foreign exchange earnings with domestic tourism growing by 50% over the past 10 years. The country is an investment destination and after the discovery of oil in Uganda passenger volumes through Entebbe International Airport have increased significantly.

The region is home to 53% of the world’s mountain gorilla population and 6.8% of the world’s butterfly species along with many bird species and mammals. Uganda is also the source of the longest river on the continent and world, River Nile with the most electrifying rafting opportunity on earth.

For more information and to register for Routes Africa 2013 click here.