The
government of Uganda will be launching more promotion campaigns to increase in
the Tourism revenue from the current $805m to $1b by the year 2014. This was
revealed by the tourism minister Ms Maria Lubega Mutagamba who also added that
the ministry wants to base this campaign on peace in the country and hospitable
nature of its citizens (Ugandans).
Tourism
is the second foreign exchange earning to the country from remittances from
abroad. Therefore, we should take advantage of international accolades to
extremely develop the country’s tourism products. Uganda was voted best tourism
destination by Lonely planet for the year 2012, Mt Rwenzori was voted among top
hiking places, Virunga was voted a must-see place and Bwindi National Park was
voted as the Africa’s number one birding site ad this slogans can be used to
boost the country’s tourism industry.
According
to her, there is need to for concerted efforts to promote tourism with minimum
negative impacts on the environment.
There are still challenges of limited tourism product, inadequate
accommodation, low quality services, human wildlife conflict, limited general
funding from the government and private sectors. Now Entebbe as a city with the
international Airport, is taking huge strides and authorities are working hard
to make it a major tourism town. The Uganda Wildlife Education centre (UWEC) in
Entebbe is also recognized as a unique zoological garden in Africa that has
enabled it host international that boosts tourism and concur with the catch
phrase that ‘Uganda is the Pearl of Africa’.
Statistics from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics show the visitor growth
has reached Shs1.5m per year that is still too small compared to small towns in
Sweden like Kulmar that get three million visitors a year.
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