Cultural diplomacy and the promotion of tourism in Uganda, a case of Mbale city

Abstract

This study examined the role of cultural collaboration and partnership, cultural exchanges, and cultural branding in the promotion of cultural tourism in Mbale City, Uganda, using a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative strand involved a structured questionnaire administered to 158 respondents, assessing perceptions of collaboration practices, exchange activities, branding efforts, and tourism promotion outcomes measured through destination visibility, expansion of tourism products, and tourism flow. The qualitative component consisted of semi-structured interviews with 8 key informants including cultural officers, tourism officials, local leaders, and private sector actors, to gain in-depth insights into the processes, challenges, and opportunities shaping cultural tourism promotion in Mbale. Descriptive statistics indicated generally positive perceptions of cultural collaboration, active cultural exchange programs, and recognisable cultural branding linked to traditional events such as the Imbalu ceremony. Correlation analysis revealed strong, positive, and statistically significant relationships between each independent variable and the dimensions of tourism promotion, with coefficients ranging from r = 0.54 to r = 0.63 (p < .001). Regression analyses confirmed that cultural collaboration (β = 0.62, R² = 0.38), cultural exchanges (β = 0.60, R² = 0.36), and cultural branding (β = 0.64, R² = 0.41) each significantly predicted tourism promotion outcomes. Qualitative findings reinforced these results by highlighting the importance of partnerships between cultural institutions and government bodies, the role of cultural exchanges in enhancing Mbale’s visibility and tourism product diversity, and the need for coherent, authentic branding to position the city competitively. Both data strands were interpreted through the lenses of Soft Power Theory and Stakeholder Theory, demonstrating that collaboration, exchange, and branding serve as strategic tools for attracting tourists by leveraging cultural appeal and inclusive governance. The study concludes that strengthening collaborative frameworks, institutionalizing cultural exchange programs, and developing consistent cultural branding strategies are essential for sustainable cultural tourism development in Mbale City.