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| A while ago Murchison falls and Kidepo national
parks In northern Uganda
received the highest rate of interest in tourist attraction at the recently
concluded World Travel Market-UK Tourism Trade Fair of 2011 and several tourism
products where opened up in order to boost and promote Ugandas tourism sector. For example Uganda has launched a canoe sporting event on Lake Victoria to promote the country's tourism potential and raise funds for health projects. The activity took five days and a team of Ugandan journalists, Kenyans and members of the Italian Canoe Federation on Tuesday flagged off the Lake Victoria Kayak Expedition from the Source of River Nile in Jinja to Kisumu in Kenya. Though a lot has been done to promote Uganda tourism, the government of Uganda also promised to ensure environmental concerns are put at the centre stage of the country’s efforts to promote tourism together with the all the countries stakeholders in the tourism sector. However, in the wake of continued low budgetary allocation to promote Uganda's tourism potential, USA has announced it is increasing funding to the sector to a tune of $20 million (about Shs50 billion).The amount is almost equivalent to government's allocation to the sector this financial year. While officiating at the launch of the Batwa Trail in Mgahinga Gorilla national park in south western Uganda, the USAID acting Mission Director, John Mark Winfield, said USA was satisfied with the performance of their first funds to the sector. The funds were channelled through the USAID-STAR (Sustainable Tourism in the Albertine Rift) programme. The three-year programme launched in 2009 was funded to a tune of $3 million. This was meant to improve the incomes of people living around the national parks so that they could appreciate the efforts of conservation. Among the projects funded was the redevelopment and shortening of the Batwa Trail, a tourism product that came onto the market last year. Funded to a tune of $31,000, the trail has been reduced from 8km to 6km -with the cave where the trail ends getting a facelift with solar lights and a breathtaking roof. This trail provides alternative source of income for the Batwa people who for the long term depended on the park for survival. "Through our partnership with the ministry of Tourism and Uganda Wildlife Authority, we are in a unique position to help preserve the natural beauty of this country while supporting the tourism industry. We hope the new additions to the trail will attract more tourists to the park and give Uganda a competitive edge in the global market," Winfield said. These new features, according to Winfield, are expected to add $12,500 annually to the tourism revenue with 50% of it going to approximately 200 members of the Batwa community. According to Pontious Ezuma, the acting Conservation Area Manager for Bwindi and Mgahinga conservation area, the trail has since last year been able to generate Shs 36m - with 158 tourists visiting the trail. With the peak season that stretches between June and October, it is expected that revenue by the trail will more than double. The trail activity costs $80 per tourist, of which 70% goes to the Batwa's fund, 20% in taxes and 10% to UWA. Also Winfield, Americans are still interested in investing in ecotourism and working with local government and communities to raise the country's profile as a premier tourism destination. The new funds are to be spent over five years. The funds will cover all the national parks in the Albertine Rift that were not catered for under STAR. These include among others; Murchison Falls and Semliki.The Uganda government needs to allocate a lot more resources to tourism for the potential that is yet to be exploited to result into more revenue and income to the country. Some of the other attractions in Uganda are birding, adventure
sporting activities like white water rafting on the nile river as well
as gorilla tracking. Mountain gorilla safari packages
are the most thought-after tourism activities in Uganda with most of
the tourists visiting the other mentioned tour attractions adding it in
their itineraries. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park as well as Mgahinga national reserve. Source: http://www.ugandatourismguide.com/general-travel-news/20-million-us-dollars-to-boost-tourism-in-uganda/ | |
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