Uganda finally waking up to promote its unique image

By Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

Tourism minister, Professor Ephraim Kamuntu has singled out insecurity as the major reason failing Uganda to take a dominant position in tourism.

Kamuntu made this revelation on November 4, 2011 during a press briefing, at the Uganda Media Centre, about the World Travel Market.

“Our challenge is to put our house in order. The major reason Uganda has failed to take a dominant position in the tourism industry is insecurity. But we are determined to reposition tourism to effectively contribute to the GDP, employment and the wellbeing of local communities.”

The world Travel Market is the world’s largest annual international tourism exhibition that takes place at the Excel Docklands in London, UK. This year it will be held from 7-10 November and Uganda is represented by 18 exhibitors.

This vibrant four-day business to business event, open exclusively to travel professionals, attracts close to 46,000 travel industry professionals. It is taking place on the heels of Lonely Planet’s rating of Uganda as the number one country to visit in 2012. Qatar Airways had also just arrived into Uganda’s skies.

The minister pointed out inadequate marketing, encroachment on protected areas and inadequate funding as the other challenges facing the tourism industry. He praised the exhibition as timely and an effective means of helping Uganda improve its image as well as help realize the prediction of the best destination.

According to available statistics, the minister revealed, 946,000 tourists came to the country. And that these left behind US $ 662,000 before adding that the number needs to be raised to one million.

The chairman of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators, Byamukama Boniface, and one of the exhibitors said that the private sector is ready to attract tourists to the country. He added that there are plans to put in place a law that will regulate the pricing of accommodation so as to avoid exploitation.

Emphasizing the importance of peace and security to this vulnerable sector, Byamukama told the press that during the April and May demonstrations, hoteliers registered a 30% decline.

On the rampart cases of poaching, the acting executive director of Uganda Wild Life Authority Dr. Andrew Sseguya said that the Authority had in March recruited and deployed 200 rangers.

“Most of the poaching is going on in the Democratic Republic of Congo but the products end up on Uganda’s market. This somehow gives the impression that poaching is on the rise here. Uganda, DRC and Rwanda are trying to reach an understanding whereby either country, though armed, can pursue the poachers when they cross into another country.”

Although funding to the tourism sector is still mere peanuts compared to its potential, the raising of the Directorate to a full ministry is a step in the right direction. The 11.3 billion allocations to tourism, forming 0.001% of the national budget is deplorable to say the least. Not to mention the institutionalized corruption and bad governance that is forcing Ugandans to demonstrate in a bid to get government listen or bring about regime change.

Good intentions have been shown in trying to tap into the tourism potential but right now it is not good intentions that the country needs but strong institutions; institutions that will guarantee good governance, peace and development.