East Africa Community (EAC) parks to be graded
National parks in the East African Community Countries are to be graded, an official from the Association of Uganda Tour Operators has revealed.
Mr Bonifance Byamukama the chairman Tour Operators Association said the exercise will be carried out depending on the products available in the parks and under this arrangement parks will be given different stars depending on product availability.
The 10 national parks in Uganda are already graded with Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori and Bwindi Impenetrable national parks belonging to grade A because of the variety of products they offer.
However this time the grading will be done at a regional level. Kenya has about 10 national parks, Burundi has about three, and Tanzania has over 15 parks.
This comes after the five countries in East Africa agreed to issue a single tourist visa for travel throughout the region and are discussing a protocol to create and market the region as a single tourist destination.
The visa will allow tourists to move freely among the member countries of the East African Community.
The discussions include setting a common code of conduct for tour operators, establishing professional standards for travel agents, creating standardized hotel classifications and adopting common policies on wildlife management.
A collective policy for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wildlife and other tourist sites in the region is also in the pipeline.
The introduction of the visa has, however, delayed. "In November we shall be going to the World Travel Market in the UK but each country has its own stall and will be marketing separately. There is need for one body to market the region because the countries have different products," said Byamukama.
“Uganda still faces a challenge in marketing her tourist attractions. Some of the roads like that leading to Bwindi Impenetrable and Queen Elizabeth national parks are impassible among others," noted Byamukama.
He said the tour operators are still facing a problem in accessing the new markets. "We cannot depend only on the traditional markets of the US and the UK. There are new markets emerging such as China and Asia which we need to tap in with the help of the government.
Byamukama added that tour operators face many challenges in marketing which they cannot address. "The tradition worldwide is that the government takes the initiative to penetrate markets by buying stalls and the service providers get onboard to showcase what they can offer," he argued.
Byamukama said matters have not been helped with the under funding of Uganda Tourism Board which would be doing the marketing.
He also said they are facing challenges in accessing financing since most banks do not look at tourism as a viable business.
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9 Baffalos and more hippos die from Anthrax in Queen Elizabeth Park
An anthrax outbreak in Queen Elizabeth National Park has killed 82 hippos and nine buffaloes since June 2010.
The chairman of the National Anthrax Task Force Dr Nicholas Kauta told journalists on Thursday that the most affected areas are those surrounding Kazinga Channel and lakes Edward and George.
As a national response, he said, the task force is implementing a multi-pronged response which includes undertaking a base line study to determine the extent of the outbreak and affected species through carrying out carcass management, marine and terrestrial patrols and sample analysis.
He warned people around the area not to graze animals in the park, report all sicknesses and deaths in wild and domestic animals to authorities and not to consume meat from sick and dead animals.
He said there will be a ring vaccination of livestock in the national park and all health centres have been put on high alert.
Anthrax is caused by bacteria (bacillus anthracis) in the atmosphere. Animals mainly herbivores get it through contaminated grass, soil and water.
Humans can acquire it through eating contaminated meat and animal products from infected animals.
The park has often experienced attacks in 1954 and in 1994 and 2004. In 2004, about 300 hippos died.
The Uganda Wild Life Authority says there is no cause of alarm that all animals in the park might die because the beasts have natural immunity to the disease.
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Uganda Tour Operators urge Government to construct Roads
The Uganda Tour Operators have asked the Government to construct roads leading to major tourist destinations to ease the transportation of tourists.
The president of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators, Boniface Byamukama noted that bad roads had been a major hindrance in the transportation of tourists to national parks.
“When it rains, it’s almost impossible to take any tourist to these destinations,” said Byamukama who was speaking at the official opening of the association’s new offices in Kololo, last week.
Byamukama pointed out the Kagadi-Wima road, Kihihi-Kitunguru road in Kanungu district, Kabale-Kisoro-Bwindi road and Rukungiri-Bwindi road as the worst roads that hinder the Business.
Julius Onen, the permanent secretary at the tourism and trade ministry, urged tour firms to keep the dynamism to take tourism ahead.
He said construction of the roads would soon be done by the Uganda Wildlife Road Network Company.
Onen was also happy that the Tourism sector was slowly recovering from the effects of the recent Kampala bomb attacks that had got Tourists worried for their lives.
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Buganda Totems become tool for Uganda wildlife preservation
The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) has adopted Buganda’s totem system to supplement the conservation effort, an official has said.
In his speech, UWEC Executive Director Andrew Seguya said that People have forgotten this but during the old times, the Baganda knew that it was a taboo to kill your totem or even to eat your totem. And If we re-invent this, it may be a useful tool in our conservation.
Dr Seguya was briefing the Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, about UWEC’s activities during the Buganda Tourism Expo 2010 yesterday. Prof Bukenya officially opened the exhibition, now an annual event.
Traditionally, a totem was an animal that represented a clan or familial group in order to distinguish them from other clans and thus prevent inbreeding or incest, and help one to monitor the kinship.
Dr Seguya said the cultural attachment to some of the animals helped in their conservation as Baganda held those animals sacred.
Last month alone, Dr Seguya said, five lions had been poisoned by unknown people in Queen Elizabeth National Park and the wild cats are now an endangered species.
UWEC exhibited a lion, a crested crane, an ostrich, pythons, fishing eagles and parrots among others.
Prof. Bukenya promised to become an ambassador for the bird’s conservation efforts. He said he was interested in the crane, which is a national bird yet it is becoming extinct
“I am interested in getting a male and a female crane,” Prof. Bukenya requested. And this was considered since Uganda crested crane is getting extinct.
Prof. Bukenya urged people to take part in cultural tourism that is one of the ways to effect development and conservation of culture.
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You must take a Safari in Uganda
Uganda is a small, land-locked country in Eastern Africa. It borders Kenya, Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania and is home to one of the most diverse landscapes in all of Africa. Within Uganda's borders lie lush mountains, vast lakes and dry grasslands that teem with all sorts of wildlife, making it a wonderful safari destination.
Of recent, Uganda was not as popular a tourist destination as it neighboring countries. This means that adventurous visitors here can enjoy a type of authentic African landscape and culture that is less available in the better trodden countries such as Kenya and Tanzania.
One of Uganda's most famous and unique aspects are its abundance of Endangered Mountain wild gorillas, many of which are accessible on Ugandan safaris that take visitors into the national parks where they live. It is only because of Uganda's uniquely lush environments that gorillas can be observed up close here.
Chimpanzees come second to Uganda's unusual wildlife staying in their natural habitat. Typical Ugandan safaris also incorporate a chimp element, in addition to gorilla treks.
The River Nile is a very different setting on a safari through Murchison Falls National Park. Here, the massive river plunges down 45 meters into an amazing waterfall and wild hippos and crocodiles roam the waters.
Despite the rocky reputations of several of its neighbors, Uganda is one of the safer countries for tourists to visit in the entire Eastern African region. The nation boasts a stable government and lacks the insurgents and war that characterize many African nations, making it the perfect place to experience an Excellent African safari.
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UNESCO needs 1 mln dollars to reconstruct Uganda’s Kasubi Tombs
Located on a hill in Uganda's capital Kampala, Kasubi Tombs was a former palace of the Kings of Buganda, built in 1882 and converted into the royal burial ground in 1884.
Four royal tombs lay within the main building, which is circular and surmounted by a dome. It was made of wood, thatch, reed, wattle and daub.
The tombs were a tourist attraction as well as an important spiritual and political site for the Baganda, Uganda's largest ethnic group. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, but was set ablaze by an identified fire
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are seeking one million U.S. dollars for the rebuilding Uganda's world heritage site which was burnt down in March, an official said here on Friday.
Irina Bokova, UNESCO director general told delegates from 40 African countries that the organization has taken the responsibility of mobilizing funds for reconstructing Kasubi Tombs, a 126 year old burial site for ancient kings of one of Uganda's oldest kingdoms.
"We are committed to preserving culture. Culture is very important and significant for the economic growth and development of African continent," she said while closing the 12th conference of national commissions for UNESCO and director general consultations of Africa region.
Yesterday Bokova met President Yoweri Museveni at State House, Entebbe, 40km south of the capital, Kampala Uganda where by Museveni called upon UNESCO to support Uganda's efforts to preserve its oldest cultural sites.
"We welcome any support towards Kasubi. However, Kasubi is more recent in 1884. There are other sites that were as ancient as 1600AD. We should develop programs to ensure that we protect this rich history as living memory," the statement quoted Museveni as saying.
According to the release, Bokova said that UNESCO has already raised 50,000 dollars from various donors for the reconstruction of the tombs and hoped to jointly work with Ugandan government to restore it.
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Uganda Tour Company wins Wild card space
One of Uganda-based Tour Company recently won free Wild Card space to exhibit in Frankfurt, Germany at the recently concluded IMEX 2010 exhibition.
IMEX in Frankfurt is the essential worldwide exhibition for meetings and incentive travel and their Wild Card programmer allowing undiscovered destinations to be put on the global business map. IMEX brings together international buyers and sellers and over 3,500 exhibitors from more than 150 countries attended IMEX 2010.
Great Lakes Safaris was the only African company that won free space; alongside two others, Morzine, France and Hof Conference and Cultural Center, Iceland.
Information obtained from the IMEX website indicates that to qualify for a winning place, Wild Card entrants have to justify their potential as a brand new meeting and incentive travel destination or a new convention and conference centre from a new and emerging destination.
On what significance the exhibition is likely to have for Uganda, the managing director Great Lakes Safaris Amos Wekesa told East African Business Week in an interview last week that the exhibition cast Uganda in the spotlight and is likely to open up opportunities for doing business. "There were many international companies at the exhibition that will sell Uganda as an ultimate destination," said Wekesa. "Charters that last came to Uganda in the 1970s will soon start bringing tourists as a result," he said.
As a company, Wekesa said winning the Wild Card free space means growth provides a challenge and opened eyes about the opportunities available. "They looked at our organization, our facilities, the people we deal with and our website and found that we qualified to be there. The contacts of the companies we met are going to help us market Uganda as a destination," said Wekesa.
Some other benefits to each winning destination of the Wild Card programmer include free exhibition space within the Wild Card Pavilion, access to discounted air fares, complimentary hotel room for three nights in Frankfurt, plus a free ticket to the IMEX Gala Dinner.
The winners also benefit from marketing support to assist them in presenting their destination to the audience of international buyers at the show
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2 billion shillings for Tourism promotional in 2010/11
The Government of Uganda will not increase funding to the tourism sector in the next financial year.
According to the national budget framework paper for 2010/11, the total allocation for Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is projected to remain constant at sh2.05b.
However, the figure is still subject to parliamentary approval. But sector experts believe a thorough lobbying process through Parliament and the higher executive could cause change.
The Uganda Tourism Board, the lead promotion agency received sh2b the 2009/2010 budget. Edwin Muzahura, the Tourism Uganda marketing and public relations manager, said the agency may seek other funding options in the event that the Government does not change its position.
“We will keep lobbying the Government. We still think the Government can rescind its position,” said Muzahura. Cuthbert Baguma, the new Tourism Uganda boss, disclosed that his agency needs sh22b to effectively sell the country’s rich attractions for better foreign earnings.
Tourism comes after agriculture and forestry on the list of the national primary growth areas of the newly released National Development Plan.
Muzahura in an interview said through implementing the tourism levy, the UTB could generate some resources. UTB is empowered to collect 2% of the total expenditure bill generated by hotels.
Muzahura also said the agency is looking at another 2% levy on airport taxis as another source of income. Key on the agenda of UTB in the next financial year is to promote local and regional tourism that guards the sector from the uncertainties arising from external interruptions like the recent ash clouds that paralyzed travel in mainland Europe.
The other is to focus the marketing on key prime markets, explore sustainable financing options as well as quality standards in the services industry like hotel grading.
In 2008, tourism contributed 9.2% or $1.2b to the gross domestic product while in Kenya, it brought in $3.5b or 10.8% to GDP according to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC).
This variation maybe directly linked to the massive investment that Kenya puts into the sector. According to the draft corporate strategy plan 2009-2012, Kenya spends sh27 billion (ksh1 billion) in marketing alone.
Tourism arrivals increased from 512,000 in 2004 to 844,000 in 2008- an increase of 65% in fewer than five years boosted by the commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) held here.
Kenya on the other hand had 1, 816,800 tourist visitors in 2008.
These comparisons experts argue provide strong insights to the value promotional cash provides in pushing not only arrival figures but also high end tourists that generate valuable revenue.
Kenya and Egypt are easily some of the biggest spenders on tourism promotion to the tune of sh189b combined.
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Uganda Safari News
Thousands pray at Uganda Martyrs Shrine
Thousands of Christian pilgrims from across the world are praying at the Uganda Martyrs’ shrines at Namugongo and Nakiyanja today to remember the death of Uganda Martyrs in 1886.
These Martyrs were speared, killed and burnt to ash by King Mwanga 11 Buganda’s Kabaka for their strong faith in God.
The Martyrs day is celebrated annually on June 3 in memory of 30 Christian martyrs and recently the Uganda Tourism Board launched the Martyrs trail as anew Tourism product following the burning of Kasubi Tombs that is a burial place for the Kabakas of Buganda. And its at this place where Kabaka Mwanga was buried.
The service at the the Catholic shrine is being led by Bishop Henry Sentongo of ecclesiastical province of Tororo.
Prayers at the Anglican shrine are being led by priests from West Ankole Diocese.
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Seychelles to promote Uganda’s Tourism
The World’s second most conservationist country, Seychelles, has added Uganda and some EAC countries on its list of tourist destinations.
This opportunity will promote the country’s gorilla and wildlife destinations to visitors from Europe, America and other parts of the world.
Speaking at a meeting of Uganda’s tour operators in Kampala, Mr David Germain, the Seychelles Tourist Regional manager said; originally South Africa and the US alone have been the main market.
“We have decided to take a more general approach and identified specific countries on the African continent; we have chosen Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya as potential partners in promoting tourism,” Mr Germain said.
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