Ms Susan Kahunde, aged 22, is the newly crowned Miss Tourism winner. Courtesy photos
Ms Susan Kahunde, 22, beat 26 other contestants for the Miss Tourism 2021/2022 crown at the weekend.
Ms Kahunde from Tooro Sub-region, who has a certificate in midwifery from Tumu Medical Institute, takes over the Miss Tourism duties from Ms Sonia Komugisha, 25.
The first runner up, Ms Phiona Opia, 22, holds a diploma in Agri-business management from Bukalasa Agricultural College, and the second runner-up, Ms Rashidah Namukwaya, 21, is a student pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration from Makerere University Business School. Ms Opia hails from West Nile while Ms Namukwaya is from Buganda.
Miss Tourism Beauty pageant is a private initiative organised by the Miss Tourism Foundation to ensure conservation in Uganda.
The event, which started at about 2pm, attracted a smaller audience because of the standard operating procedures put in place to control Covid-19 infections.
The function kicked off with an opening dance from the contestants, who later showcased their creative costumes. The question and answer session followed until the numbers were trimmed down to the final three.
Ms Phiona Opia (the first runner-up), Ms Susan Kahunde (centre), the newly crowned Miss Tourism, and Ms Rashidah Namukwaya (the second runner-up).
Ms Kahunde stood out for different reasons. Besides her poise and elegance, she impressed the audience with the way she responded to questions.
She answered questions related to the pandemic and the impact of social media on the tourism sector.
“Social media has enabled the country to continue marketing the tourism sector even in the pandemic,” Ms Kahunde said.
Unlike the previous winners, Miss Kahunde does not get a car. Mr Allan Kanyike Bwete, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Miss Tourism Uganda, told Daily Monitor that the reason is partly because of the limited sponsors of the event this year.
“This year’s Miss Tourism winner does not go home with a car. Regardless, there will be cars readily available to ease her movements while doing her work throughout the country,” Mr Bwete said.
Ms Kahunde will be expected to grace different tourism events during her one-year reign. She will also represent Uganda at the Miss Tourism International finale in Malaysia in December.
