The Presidential Tours of Africa is a series of comprehensive films that highlights African countries and follows their Heads of State as they take viewers on an in-depth tour of their country. The Africa Society, in partnership with the Travel Channel, began its Presidential Tours of Africa Series in 2003 with “Uganda: The Presidential Tour,” led by President Yoweri Museveni and featuring journalist Forrest Sawyer. The film was followed by a premiere at Discovery headquarters.

After the success of the film, the Presidential Tours of Africa was hosted by President John Kufuor of Ghana in 2005 and President Festus Mogae Botswana in 2008, both featuring Forrest Sawyer as the interviewer. In April 2010, the fourth installment of the Tour was hosted by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and featured former NFL player Tiki Barber as the interviewer. World premieres were held at Discovery headquarter for the Ghana film and at The World Bank for the Botswana film where both Presidents appeared.

The groundbreaking films have reached over 180 million households with positive and accurate information about Africa, showcasing each nation’s unique tourist attractions, rich cultural heritage, and growing industries. These positive images of Africa promote tourism and combat the pervasive negative stereotypes about the continent. According to the Ministry of Tourism in Uganda, this groundbreaking film series increased tourism in the host countries by an average of 30%.