Uganda a destination of choice

Players in the tourism industry have been advised to diversify tourism products and improve tourism infrastructure to attract tourists and reap big from the country’s enormous tourism potential. Dr Patrick Birungi, head of Strategic Planning at the National Planning Authority said that Ugandahas potential to reap over $12 billion annually from the tourism sector if promoted to become among the leading top 10 tourism destinations in the world. Last year, Uganda received 1,151,000 visitor arrivals, fetching the country $805 million (about 1.96 trillion) in foreign exchange, up from $662 million (about Shs1.6 trillion) in 2010, according to the tourism minister, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu.

Dr Birungi who was speaking at a consultative meeting to review the draft National Vision 2040 in Kampala, last week, said Uganda needs to construct a tourism ring road covering all tourism areas in the country, construct airfields in key tourism sites and ICT services. The National Vision 2040 seeks to transform Uganda from a peasant and low income country to a competitive upper middle income country within 30 years, with a per capita income of $9,500 (about Shs23.2 million). Although endowed with the largest number of primates such as mountain gorillas one of the rare animal species on earth, wonderful waterfalls, beautiful scenery and birds among others, it is the least visited compared to her counterparts in the East African region. “We have diversified tourism products such as gorillas, cultures, birds and mountains among others but there are limited funds for marketing campaigns and the roads leading to such sites are also bad,” Dr Andrew Seguya, the Uganda Wildlife Authority acting executive director said that government can give tax incentives to aviation companies so as to invest in domestic flights to ease transportation of tourists within the country.

Reported By,

Lydia

Tours Uganda

 

Kampala tourism trails:

Kampala is waking up to exploit its tourism potential by offering intending visitors opportunities to walk around some of the city’s cultural treasures. Herbert Byaruhanga, the chairperson of the Uganda Safari Guides Association, said a number of circuits are being developed to provide a unique experience to visitor. While in Kampala, visitors can visit Kampala’s landmarks such as the Constitutional Square, the Independence Monument, a statue of former Buganda king Edward Muteesa 11, the Kampala Railway Station and St. Balikuddembe Church, where the first martyr was killed. “There are people who come to Kampala to attend meetings and do not have time to go to national parks. With the tourism circuits available, the visitors can see the city and have a better experience.” Every year, Kampala gets about 800,000 visitors. The promoters are targeting 30% of the visitors. Mr. Byaruhanga continued to say that walks lasting about four hours will be organized in small groups of six to 12 people.  Also awaiting visitors is the first museum and other old buildings at Makerere University, one of the first universities in the region and where most of the East African presidents studied. This, according to Byaruhanga, will also take four hours and will offer visitors’ bird watching opportunities in parts of Makerere University that still have old trees and strips of forest patches.

In the 1960’s, Kampala hosted very many important people from the UK premier Winston Churchill, the US president Roosevelt and an author of international repute Ernest Hemingway, and many others. This is because Kampala has a lush green vegetation, friendly people, spacious streets and Lake Victoria shores. There are many different activities Tourists can take part into like visiting the chimpanzees in Ngamba Island, bird watching and bungee jumping at the source of River Nile, all within 60 minutes from Kampala City,”

Reported By,

Lydia

Tours Uganda

 

 

Bill Gates to track mountain gorillas in Uganda

Co-founder and current chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates is set for another visit to Uganda between August 9 and 12, sources say. Also famous for being one of the richest people in the world, Gates’ trip here will be to track mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. An advance team to prepare for the visit has already arrived in Kisoro district where Gates and his wife, Melinda Gates, are expected to launch their gorilla-tracking expedition. Bill gates were in Uganda in 2004 to track the gorillas. A Uganda Wildlife Authority official in Kisoro who preferred anonymity declined to divulge more details about the visit. Uganda boasts of being home to almost half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. There are about 300 mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with over 8 groups habituated for tracking. The country first opened up its doors to tourists to track the gorillas at Bwindi in April 1993. Since then, Uganda’s tourism industry has been largely boosted by annual revenue from the national park tucked away in western Uganda.

Reported By,

Lydia

Tours Uganda

 

 

Awareness of the endangered species to the Local Communities

Conservationists have set on to take endangered species to communities through exhibitions in order for the public to appreciate the value of protecting them. At a recent exhibition in Hoima, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre officials also used the opportunity to educate the masses about the importance of conserving biodiversity. Also displayed was a two-and-a-half metres-long python weighing 23 kilograms that was rescued from Luzira wetland in Kampala. Rampant deforestation and wetland degradation destroy biodiversity and habitats of endangered species, according to the wildlife watchdog.

Uganda Wildlife education centre is set on the shores of Lake Victoria, the place is a must visit for anyone coming to Entebbe for a leisure or educational tour. The centre which sits on 72 acres, boasts of a wide variety of indigenous wildlife numbering well into the thousands, and housed in natural settings which depict three of Uganda’s ecosystems: The Wetland, The Savannah and The Forest.

Reported by,

Lydia

Tours Uganda

Accommodation in Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park Is a home to many different animal species, including Zebra, Eland, and Impala, who are not found in most other National parks in Uganda.  The park is a habitat to big numbers of Waterbuck, Topi, Buffalo, Hippo, Duiker, Bushbuck, and Klipspringer and if lucky, you will see Oribi, Reedbuck, Leopard and Crocodiles. Apart from Lounging by the pool, enjoying the sounds of Nature, or watching nearby wildlife, Gusts can also benefit from the numerous activities offered by Lake Mburo National Park. Diversions include boat trips on Lake Mburo, Savannah walks, and Game drives in the park and some horseback safaris.

Mihingo lodge is a peaceful exclusive luxury retreat just a stone’s throw away from the stunning Lake Muro National Park. The lodge is an environmentally friendly accommodation, the buildings are constructed in such away as to melt into the rocky outcrops and savannah landscape around them. Electricity, hot water, and water pumps are powered by solar system to take advantage of the rains.

Reported By,

Lydia

Tours Uganda

 

Beware of wild animals, UWA warns Hoima locals

Wildlife conservation officials have warned residents in Hoima and the neighboring areas to be very careful around wild animals after a chimpanzee “abducted” and injured a six-month-old baby in Mparangasi Village, Kyabigambire Sub-county, Hoima District last month.The head of wildlife and antiquities in the Tourism ministry, Mr James Lutalo, said people need to be on guard all the time because encounters between humans and animals in the region have increased. “The animal habitants have been consistently and persistently compromised so animals end up in areas they are not supposed to be,” he said.On June 30, a chimpanzee grabbed Noeline Asiimwe from the back of her mother, Teddy Kaahwa, taking the infant hostage for hours.“I attempted to flee and the beast got hold of my baby’s leg,” Kaahwa says. “It overpowered me and it took off with the baby.” A full-grown chimpanzee is five times stronger than a man. Mr Paul Hatanga, the project manager of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust, said the community scares the chimps by making noise of pelting them with stones if they stray to homes. “As the chimpanzee retreated to the forest it met the affected woman with a child and it demonstrated its aggression onto her,” he said.Residents mounted a search and found the chimp seated next to the baby in the forest. The animal retreated on seeing the locals and rescued Asiimwe whom they found with a deep cut on her right leg.In Hoima and Bunyoro region, 58 per cent of the remaining forest cover is found on private land. Chimpanzees, gorillas and other primates are quickly disappearing, all victims of habitat loss and degradation as well as conflicts with humans.

Reported By,

Lydia

Tours Uganda

 

The Annual Migration of the wildebeest

The first group of wildebeest has crossed into Masai Mara Game Reserve from Serengeti plains in Tanzania. This happened despite efforts by Tanzanian authorities to stop the animals from crossing by lighting fires in Serengeti savannah. The fires were still visible on Monday but hoteliers said it would not stop the animals from crossing the Mara River to kick off the annual tourism peak season. “We hope the rains will extinguish the fires. For many years Tanzanians have unsuccessfully tried to stop them from crossing into Kenya,” said an hotelier who declined to be named. Conservationists have appealed to East African county authorities to allow the migration to continue unhindered. “The country’s economy heavily depends on tourism and we see it as an act of economic sabotage,” said Sammy Nkoitoi, the chairman of Siana Wildlife Trust in Mara. The annual migration, named the Seventh Wonder of the World, takes place in July and peters out in early October. Despite the migrations, hotels in and around the park have not been fully booked with hoteliers blaming recent terror attacks and travel advisories by foreign governments. “The situation is not promising but we expect it to improve. Around this time every year, we do brisk business,” said Ben Kipeno, a proprietor of tented camps west of the reserve. Kipeno says the ongoing rains have improved the grass cover, making predators flock the park. “Visitors will easily view all the wild animals including the Big Five. All predators are back to prey on wildebeests,” he said. Andrew Mungatana, the national vice chairman of Tour Guides and Drivers Association wants the Narok County Council to improve the state of roads outside and inside the park.

Reported By,

Lydia

Tours Uganda