Uganda to premiere first fully fledged tourism reality TV series after 15-year journey

July 27, 2026 in Business, Companies, Travel & Tourism by Editor

After 15 years of planning, failed attempts and self-funded expeditions, Breathtaking Uganda has launched production of Touring Uganda from Above and Ground, billed as Uganda’s first fully fledged tourism reality television series aimed at showcasing the country’s attractions through cinematic storytelling.

 

Uganda is set to debut what its creators describe as the country’s first fully fledged tourism reality television series, marking the culmination of a 15-year effort to reimagine how the country’s tourism attractions are marketed to domestic and international audiences.

The series, “Touring Uganda from Above and Ground,” is being produced by Breathtaking Uganda, a tourism promotion company founded by Isaiah Jobs Rwanyekiro, and is expected to combine aerial cinematography with ground-based travel experiences in a curated journey across some of Uganda’s most iconic tourism destinations.

Filming begun with a three-day production along the Jinja tourism circuit, where the crew will capture adventure tourism, luxury accommodation, scenic landscapes and cultural experiences around the source of the Nile.

The initiative represents a fresh approach to destination marketing at a time when Uganda is seeking to diversify tourism promotion beyond conventional advertising campaigns by embracing immersive storytelling and digital content.

Speaking ahead of the commencement of filming, Rwanyekiro told 256BN that the project had taken 15 years to move from concept to production after numerous unsuccessful attempts to secure the partnerships and resources needed to execute it.

“This production is about much more than another television programme. It is about telling Uganda’s story in a fresh, cinematic and unforgettable way. It is about inspiring more Ugandans to explore their own country and showing the world that Uganda possesses experiences capable of standing proudly alongside the very best tourism destinations anywhere on earth,” he said.

According to Rwanyekiro, the idea was conceived in 2011 while he was serving at the Uganda Media Centre, where discussions with then Executive Director Fred Opolot centred on finding innovative ways to showcase Uganda’s tourism potential.

The vision later attracted collaboration from veteran travel television presenter Wills Isingooma and several tourism enthusiasts, but repeated attempts to launch the programme failed despite multiple exploratory expeditions and pilot productions.

Among the earliest field expeditions was a 2013 journey through western Uganda led alongside tourism promoter Abdul Muhiire. The team traversed destinations including Lake Mburo National Park, Kisizi Falls, Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Fort Portal, documenting the country’s diverse landscapes and attractions.

A second filming expedition followed in 2015, with television personalities Collins Mugume and Wills Isingooma capturing tourism experiences in Fort Portal, Rubirizi and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Although the footage renewed hopes for the project, the television series again failed to materialise.

Rwanyekiro said the concept continued evolving with contributions from several creative professionals, including copywriter Trudy Emojong and filmmaker Issa Kainamura, popularly known as Saigon.

The most ambitious attempt came in 2022 through the Big Boys Caravan, a 21-day road expedition that traversed eastern, northern and north-eastern Uganda.

The caravan brought together travel enthusiasts, photographers, drone operators and content creators to document destinations stretching from Jinja and Kapchorwa through Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, Moroto, Bokora-Matheniko Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park before proceeding to Gulu and Pakwach.

Although financial constraints forced the expedition to end earlier than planned, it generated thousands of photographs and hours of video footage that have since been preserved as what Rwanyekiro calls the Breathtaking Uganda Photo and Film Vault.

A further production effort in 2023, undertaken with Kunta Productions under the working title The Crazy Road Trip, also failed to reach broadcast despite five days of filming.

The latest production seeks to build on those experiences with stronger institutional partnerships and a clearer commercial strategy.

The inaugural filming expedition is being undertaken in collaboration with the Miss Uganda Foundation, PearlSky Ltd, Lemala Wildwaters Lodge, Adrift River Club, Kalagala Overland Camp and Choate Boutique Hotel.

“This production is the result of a shared belief that Uganda’s story deserves to be told differently. We are deeply grateful to every partner, sponsor and member of the cast and crew who invested their confidence, resources and talent in this vision. Their support has transformed a dream that has taken fifteen years to nurture into a reality, and we could not have reached this milestone without them,” said.

The production team travelled from Kampala to Entebbe International Airport before flying to Kakira and continuing by road through Jinja to Kalagala, where filming will focus on experiences such as white-water rafting, bungee jumping, luxury hospitality and nature-based tourism.

The programme is expected to blend helicopter and drone footage with road travel to provide viewers with a panoramic perspective of Uganda’s landscapes while highlighting the country’s growing adventure tourism offering.

Industry observers say the project reflects a growing shift towards experience-driven tourism marketing, with destinations increasingly relying on documentary-style productions, influencer collaborations and reality television formats to reach global audiences through broadcast and online platforms.

If successful, Touring Uganda from Above and Ground could provide Uganda with a distinctive visual platform for showcasing its tourism assets while encouraging greater domestic tourism and strengthening the country’s destination brand in competitive international markets.

For Rwanyekiro, however, the launch carries significance beyond tourism promotion. After more than a decade of abandoned concepts, unfinished productions and self-funded expeditions, he describes the series as the fulfilment of a vision that refused to fade.

“The road has been long—painfully long. But perhaps the real journey begins now,” he said.