Gulu District, under the Department of Trade, Industry, and Local Economic Development (Tourism), is organizing the Acholi Cultural Tourism Competition and Exhibition Festival. The event is scheduled for December 18-20, 2023, at Pece War Memorial Stadium in Gulu City, with the theme “Unveiling the Cultural Treasures of Acholi.”
“We are expecting to attract more than twenty thousand spectators and communities across Acholi Subregion,” said Deputy RDC Cosmas James Okidi in a radio interview on Speak FM and Rupiny FM on November 6 and 7, 2023, respectively.
The rationale for the festival includes:
- Bringing out the beauty of Acholi heritage, which was interrupted by prolonged insurgency
- Enhancing the diversity of tourism products
- Reviving lost identity
- Developing and promoting domestic and community-based tourism
- Exploring the potential of Gulu District, the parent district of all Acholi districts and urban councils, to exhibit the cultural aspects of Acholi life
Among the tourism activities at the festival will be:
- Marathons
- Culinary/food competitions (e.g., cooking contests and the Ajulu Challenger)
- Cultural dance competitions (featuring various types of dances and performances) with prizes and certificates
- Sales of company products
- Visits to historical sites
- Displays and exhibitions of artifacts (local art and craft projects)
- Traditional games (e.g., Coro, Laleta, Ocucuk, Latang Dingo, Cubu Lawala, Doro, Lapen, Tiko Olal)
The expected outcomes of the festival are:
- To promote domestic tourism and preserve Acholi culture
- To generate revenue to develop Ajulu Hills cultural sites
- To make the local communities realize their cultural and tourism potential
- To promote unity and connect with others
The District Tourism Coordination Committee is at the forefront of organizing the festival because it is the link between the communities and the district in developing and promoting tourism. His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda is expected to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.