TOURISM IN UGANDA
Overview
The landscape and wildlife of Uganda are the main attractions for tourists. In the fiscal year 2012–2013, it contributed USh 4.9 trillion (US$1.88 billion or €1.4 billion as of August 2013) to Uganda's GDP, making it a significant employer, investor, and foreign exchange generator.
In Uganda, tourism may be utilized to combat poverty. Some travel agencies actively hire workers as drivers, tour guides, secretaries, accountants, and so on. These businesses sell goods to tourists, such as traditional clothing and crafts. Online-based businesses can potentially function in the tourism industry. National game parks, game reserves, traditional sites, and natural tropical forests are some of Uganda's tourist attractions. Traditional events include boat rides, waterfalls, Mbalu in eastern Uganda, and more.
The past
When future prime minister Winston Churchill visited Uganda in 1907 and referred to it as the "Pearl of Africa" due to its vibrant landscape, tourism in the country began.
One hundred thousand foreign visitors visited Uganda annually in the late 1960s. The fourth-largest source of foreign exchange earnings for the nation was tourism. Political unrest caused the tourism business to collapse in the early 1970s. The political situation in Uganda had stabilized by the late 1980s, and the time had come to reinvest in the country's tourism sector.
However, once-popular safari areas like Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park were unable to compete with comparable tourist destinations in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania due to the loss of their iconic species. Instead, Uganda's tropical woods were marketed by its tourism sector. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park formed the cornerstone of the new industry. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to about 300 mountain gorillas, or almost half of the world's total population.
With assistance from the United Nations Development Programme and the World Tourism Organization, the Ugandan government's Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities unveiled the 2014–2024 Tourism Development Master Plan in October 2014. The Plan, among other tactics, separates the nation into a number of geographical "Tourism Development Areas."
Numbers of tourists
Southwest Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains.
Currently, the Uganda Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities keep track of data and statistics related to the nation's tourism industry. Increased tourism investment has improved visitors' experiences in the nation, especially in travel accommodations and associated services.
There are plans to enhance adventure, environmental, and cultural tourism. Approximately 75% of Uganda's visitors are from other African nations. Nearly half of all tourists entering Uganda come from Kenya, which is Uganda's largest tourist destination. There aren't many tourists from Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Due to its landlocked status, Uganda relies heavily on links via Kenya for the majority of its transportation needs. Because it's frequently less expensive, foreign tourists occasionally choose to fly into Nairobi before continuing on to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The number of visitors to Uganda's national parks between 2006 and 2010 is displayed in the table below. According to Lonely Planet's "Top Countries & Travel Destinations 2012" list, Uganda came in first place in 2012.
Attractions for tourists
In the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a young mountain gorilla.
The environment, vegetation, animals, and culture of Uganda are all extremely varied.
Observing wildlife and birds
In Uganda, the most popular tourist activity is game viewing. The 10 national parks of Uganda are home to a variety of wild creatures, including antelopes, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, and lions. Only 10 nations allow visitors to see endangered gorillas, and Uganda is one of them.
Uganda's top tourist destination is its mountain gorillas. Most of them are in southern Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, but a handful are in Mgahinga National Park [9].[10] Since April 1993, tourists have been permitted to see the mountain gorillas in Bwindi. Because gorillas are at risk of catching human illnesses, the growth of gorilla tourism and gorillas' acculturation to people is being done with extreme caution.
The tree-climbing lions, meanwhile, are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Unless they are being pursued by another lion pack or a wild buffalo, lions don't often climb trees. The tree-climbing lions in QE-NP, on the other hand, purposefully scale trees and take a nap on them throughout the afternoon when the sun is high. This phenomenon is distinct. Only a few instances of this have been reported in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National Park.
Water sports and boating
In Uganda, people float on the Nile's source.
Uganda boasts a number of aquatic features that are well-liked tourist destinations due to its strategic placement in the African Great Lakes area. Popular water sports on the rapids close to the Nile's source in Jinja include kayaking and white-water rafting.
Exploring the buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, and numerous bird species that call Lake Victoria, Lake Mburo, Lake Bunyonyi, Kazinga Channel, and the River Nile home is made possible by boating, which is a popular activity on these bodies of water. Another popular tourist pastime is sport fishing. In specific locations inside Lake Mburo and along the banks of the Nile, fish such as tilapia and the Nile perch can be captured. Lake Bunyonyi is another location for canoeing.
Mountain climbing and hiking
There are many of chances to go hiking, mountain climbing, and taking natural excursions in Uganda. The snow-capped Margherita Peak (5109 m), the highest mountain range in Africa and one of the tallest summits, is part of the Rwenzori Mountains, which are located near the DRC border. Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo, and Mount Muhavura, the park's highest mountain, are also part of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. In addition to being a trekking and climbing destination, Mount Elgon in Eastern Uganda is home to one of the world's biggest calderas.
Traveling for religious reasons
After wildlife-based tourism, religious tourism is a continuously expanding tourist product segment in Uganda. However, the planning and growth of religious tourism in the nation have been restricted by a lack of study.[13]
Sites of culture
There are several cultural sites in Uganda.
Originally Kabaka Muteesa I's palace (1880–1884), Kasubi Tombs is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main building, which was rebuilt following a 2010 fire, houses the burials of Muteesa I, Mwanga II, Daudi Chwa, and Muteesa II.