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A unit of 120 police officers was unveiled last week to protect and ensure safety of all tourists in Uganda. According to Mr. Ephraim Kamuntu, the Tourism minister, the need for a Tourism Police force came as a result of several complaints about tourists losing property to motor cycle riders (boda boda), tour operators, tour guides and some getting mugged in hotels. “We want to make sure that under Justice Law and Order Sector, cases involving tourists are hurriedly disposed off before they return home.
This will save Uganda a bad image to the outside world,” noted Kamuntu. He decried the conduct of the political pressure group Activists for Change (A4C) through their walk to work demos as hurting the tourism sector. “When they carry out their activities they scare away tourists,” he noted.
Kamuntu said tourism, the world’s most traded commodity and Uganda’s second foreign exchange earner at $662m behind remittances, cannot be left unattended to as an unregulated sector. He urged members of the Kampala City Traders’ Association (KACITA), who recently conducted a sit down strike to work with the tourism fraternity to ensure that some of their concerns like depreciation of the shilling can be addressed through attracting more tourists who bring in more foreign exchange to strengthen the Shilling.
Mr. Amos Wekesa, the president of the Uganda Tourist Association, said Uganda can earn up to $5b from tourism attractions like River Nile, if it’s well marketed. “Egypt earns about $3b from the Nile alone. But in Uganda, where we have the Source of the Nile, nothing is got from the river,” stressed Wekesa before calling for an emergency tourism marketing budget for Uganda.
Uganda, which was the top tourism destination in East African in the 1960s, lost its glory to Kenya due to the many civil wars it had. The revamping of the tourism sector which started in the early 1990s hit a snag in 1999 when about eight British tourists were killed in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by suspected Rwandan rebels believed to have come from the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Its revival has been ongoing since then, and this has seen a tremendous growth with Uganda now targeting about 1.2 million tourists this year. This is the year when internationally respected number one travel magazine Lonely Planet voted Uganda the world’s top destination.
Uganda will also participate in the upcoming International Tourism Bourse in Berlin. According to Mr. Cuthbert Baguma, the executive director of the Uganda Tourism Board, they have hired a private public relations firm to ensure that over 80 media stations in Germany relay information about Uganda. The number of German tourists to Uganda has grown over years, from 5,000 in 2006 to 39,000 in 2011.
This week H.E. President Museveni launched PRESTO, his Presidential Initiative for Sustainable Tourism in London during a small tourism exhibition at Central Hall Westminster. The hall was filled with many tour operators, potential investors, businessmen, press, Ugandans and other Africans from the Diaspora.
The exhibition portrayed the beauty of Uganda through postures and pictures of wildlife, flora and fauna as well as the cultural tradition such as a large banner reading “Irresistible Uganda” depicting a gorgeous Karamajong girl. This was complimented by the display of many handy- and art crafts which the public was eager to buy. Ugandan coffee and tea was being served to add to not only the feasting of the eyes but also to give the public a taste of the “Pearl of Africa”.
The President has mandated his Principal Private Secretary, Hon. Grace Akello to organize this exhibition and in doing so was assisted by a Ugandan born international marketing consultant Willy Mutenza, who also organized the first Uganda Convention in London last year. The launch of PRESTO in London followed Uganda’s attendance of the Brussels Expo Holiday Fair in Belgium earlier this month which was supported by Brussels Airlines and the Brussels Embassy with assistance of Amb. Mirjam Blaak.
This initiative is to enhance sustainable tourism in Uganda and follows the creation of a new Ministerial Portfolio of the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Heritage which hitherto has been run as a subsidiary function in a number of Ministries. Both the Minister Hon. Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu and his Permanent Secretary, Amb. Patrick Mugoya were present during the launch as well as other members of the entourage of the President Hon. Dr. Crispus Kyonga, Minister for Defence and Hon. Henry Okello Oryem, Minister of Foreign Affairs, his Permanent Secretary, Amb. James Mugume and two Members of Parliament, Lt Gen Wamala Katumba and others.
The President enthusiastically stated: “While tourism is about travel, Uganda’s 5-year National Development Plan (NDP) recognizes the Tourism Sector as one of the “Primary Growth Drivers of the Economy” that directly creates employment and investment opportunities, generates national and household income, brings in foreign exchange and creates market for local products at source. Tourism is in essence the opening of a window of opportunities into Uganda. At global level tourism is one the worlds’ most traded services, with a high potential for a multiplier effect at national level. 880 million tourists worldwide generate US$ 852 billion.”
The President chose London as the venue for the launch as the UK generates the majority of tourism arrivals in Uganda followed by Germany. Uganda’s strategy focuses on high-quality tourism which does not degrade the environment in order to ensure sustainability to perpetuity. Last year Uganda received a number of accolades such as:
The President emphasized that Uganda is endowed with unique and rich ecological and cultural resources, a hidden treasure still to be discovered by the rest of the world. Uganda is one of the biodiversity rich countries with 18,783 species of flora and fauna.
“Uganda’s outstanding traditional hospitality and warm welcome should encourage all of you present here to come and visit and possibly invest in Uganda,” the President’s words before declaring PRESTO launched and invited the public to ask questions.
State House, through the Presidential enterprise for sustainable tourism in Uganda has weighed in to boost the tourism sector through promoting various exhibitions about tourism, culture and tradition at Uganda foreign missions across Europe.
Uganda’s tourism sector has increasingly become vibrant over the years largely because of a peaceful, stable and vibrant economy that has made it possible for business to flourish. The country was recently voted by Lonely planet, an independent magazine owned by the BBC which is committed to independent travel, trustworthy advise and editorial independence as the top tourist destination for 2012.
According to the Principal Private Secretary to the President Ms. Grace Akello who has been working with the High Commission in London on the initiative, peace and security coupled with a robust economy has ensured that the world explores and appreciates the beauty of Uganda and the warmth of its people.
Speaking at the Uganda High Commission in London during a pre-launch ceremony of the website presuto.org on the presidential enterprise for sustainable tourism in Uganda that is aimed at making information about Uganda easily accessible and vibrant, Akello who has been working with a Ugandan born international consultant Willy Mutenza to promote various aspects of Uganda’s tourism and culture said the initiative, which concedes with the country’s 50 years anniversary celebrations is an opportunity to boost efforts by various stakeholders in the tourism sector to attract more tourists locally and internationally and also to boost the economy. The website is part of various activities including showcasing Uganda at various exhibitions in Europe supported by Brussels Airlines, empowering Uganda’s foreign missions around the country to be more proactive and robust in as far as marketing Uganda’s is concerned.
The last committee meeting, this year, is to be held at the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry. The meeting will discuss the scripts for the next commercials and also review the long term communication strategy and the draft articles of association for Gifted by Nature Inc. Part of the brand Uganda steering committee at […]
Watch CNN, for ‘A country on the Move’. The investment- themed commercial highlighting Uganda ‘s resources and economic potential starts today on CNN- be sure to catch it.
On Monday January 9, the Brand Uganda program was honored to meet Uganda’s ambassadors during the 3rd conference of Heads and Deputy Heads of Uganda missions abroad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kampala- Uganda. The meeting themed, ‘Promoting Uganda’s image abroad’ saw the Brand Uganda team as represented by the TERP Group and USAID-SCOPE […]
Coming soon to a cinema-of-sorts next to you is the brand Uganda launch video showcasing the highlights of the memorable October 22 launch ceremony at Speke Resort Munyonyo. It will soon be available on the website and you can catch the dances, CNN’s Femi Oke gushing over Africa and President Museveni revealing his penchant for […]
It was a low-key affair as the Malaysian Honorary Consul for Uganda ; Mrs. Noraihan Haji Mohamad Adnan led a 15-man delegation in meeting the part of the brand Uganda team. She applauded the government initiative to brand the country especially in light of the news that Uganda is to host the 2007 Commonwealth Heads […]
The tourism boards of Kenya , Tanzania and Uganda agree on a joint strategy to market East Africa as a single tourist destination during the World Trade Market in London . The 3 countries are set to participate in the International Tourism Fair, February 2006, in Berlin as the ‘ East African Village ‘. East […]
