Uganda Tour Operators downsize.
Tourists flock to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda to see the mountain gorillas, making the country a promising African destination. Once upon a time, in the early 1970s, Uganda was governed brutally by Idi Amin, who drove away many Indian investors and caused a great deal of suffering for this African gem.
Uganda had an unfathomable economic downturn as a result of several company failures. People from other countries were treated as spies and tourists were treated like rodents. It is only now, after centuries of poaching and slaughter, that white rhino populations are beginning to recover.
Nearly thirty years have passed since Uganda’s National Resistance Army liberation struggle in 1986, during which the country has been mostly free of violent conflict. Hotels, tour operators, and other businesses rely on tourists, and the government has done a good job of building infrastructure like roads and services like security, so investors are feeling confident in the industry.
Given the above, it’s no surprise that the government views tourism as a key source of revenue. To back this up, it established a separate ministry and established two agencies: the Uganda Tourism Board, which is responsible for marketing the country, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which is responsible for conserving wildlife for future generations.
Uganda Tour operators downsize.
Little has been done in the realm of marketing and promoting Uganda due to insufficient financing. Finally, the Uganda Tourism Board’s new leadership has increased the country’s marketing budget, allowing Uganda tour operators and other stakeholders to participate in international exhibitions such as ITB Berlin, World Travel Market in London, and Indaba in South Africa. All signs point to progress in the right manner, since Uganda has won the best ward and is the top exhibitor in Africa this year.
Despite the abundance of cultural and natural attractions in Uganda, the tourism industry is struggling, which has a knock-on effect for hotels, lodges, and tour operators. In order to stay afloat, some large enterprises have had to shut down, while others have had to drastically reduce their workforce. One may attempt to explain this by bringing up a number of variables.
Due to its role in Somalia, where terrorist groups like al-Shabab were based to attack other countries, Uganda has been the target of several terror warnings. Whenever these warnings are sent out, all prospective visitors, particularly those from the United States, Britain, and Australia, usually decide not to go to Uganda. Kenya has been hit hard by terrorist strikes, making the situation much worse. Given all the terror threats and warnings, the one good trend is that Uganda has managed to stay calm and has not registered any attach since 2010.
The tourist business in Uganda has also been greatly impacted by the Ebola epidemic in western West Africa. Since many would-be visitors know very little about Africa’s geography, they often assume that the continent is homogeneous and that illnesses like these may move quickly from one nation to another. As a result, despite Uganda’s status as a global leader in the control and battle against illnesses like Ebola, commerce is not booming. It has not been helped by the dollar’s recent gain either.
Because of this, the cost of a vacation in Uganda is more than in nations with more stable economies.
In order to help you plan a vacation to Rwanda and Uganda based on the best information available, we at Katland Safaris are dedicated to our valued customers and are accessible at all times to answer your questions and address your concerns.
