The western part of Uganda is truly naturally gifted and still commands a major tourism resource region for seasoned travelers as a must-visit travel destination on several travel bucket lists. This was evident when hundreds of enthusiastic Ugandan domestic travelers poured in the region during the Explore West domestic tourism promotional drive for a five-day visit led by the Hon. Martin Mugarra, the State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities among other government officials, from April 12th to April 16th, 2023.
The Explore West domestic tourism promotional drive was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities in collaboration with agencies such as the Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority, UWEC, UHHTI, and UWRI, Talent Africa, as well as players in the tourism private sector. Hundreds of participants from all over the country came together to appreciate the beauty of the western part of the country with an official flag off from the Honourable State Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities.
Explore West comes a few months after the successful Explore Elgon region domestic tourism promotional campaign that recorded success as part of the Tulambule series of visits to major destinations aimed at creating awareness and continuous promotion of destinations both popular and the untapped hidden gems strewn across Uganda.
In the company of local leaders, the team leveraged the five days to visit a series of attractions and tourism hotspots in western Uganda with stopovers at the Uganda Equator, Lukaya market, a cattle visit to Lake Mburo national park where they sampled a roasted bull, before heading to Igongo cultural center for a meeting with the Ankole cluster, media engagement, cultural entertainment and visits to places such as the Eclipse monument, Mugaba Palace, Kyamuhunga growers tea estate, Lake Nkugute, Kyambura gorge viewpoint, Katunguru bridge, Mweya Peninsula, Queen Elizabeth national park, Katwe Salt lake mine, Kilembe mines ruins, Nyamwamba Valley, CSR project at Bulembia primary school, Rwenzori Mountain national park Mihunga Gate, Tooro Kingdom Palace, Semuliki national park, Amabeere Ga Nyina Mwiru, Kyeganywa hill, crater lakes view, Katoosa martyrs site in Kyenjonjo, and visits to Ttanda Archaeological site in Mityana.
Hon. Martin Mugarra emphasised the necessity for Ugandans to continue embracing domestic tourism and urged them to actively promote the industry across the world.
He said, ‘’It’s crucial that we develop the tourism sector collectively. The Explore series is a component of the Tulambule initiative that was started earlier by my predecessor, Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda, before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak that halted the campaign for nearly two years before resuming last year. Through this campaign, we will travel to all of Uganda’s regions over the full year in an effort to reawaken Ugandans’ enthusiasm and passion for domestic tourism.
He added, ”The responsibility to promote Uganda is for all of us. Uganda is a destination that offers something for everyone, whether they are traveling on a tight budget, a midrange budget, or a luxury budget. For example, some of these sites have barrier-free entrances that cost as low as Shs5,000, Shs10,000, Shs20,000, or even Shs25,000 or more. The same is true of the accommodation facilities; there are tourist facilities that cost as little as Shs30, 000 even in national parks. I also want to salute the government for maintaining good security throughout the entire country, which has enabled tourism to thrive. Additionally, the world’s friendliest people reside in Uganda.
Mr. Emmy Kateera Tiryabagenyi, the Deputy Resident Commissioner for Mbarara City, lauded the ministry for the Explore West initiative that has made Mbarara City part of the tourism circuit.
It’s imperative that we protect our cultures for future generations, he remarked. When visitors come to visit, they value our traditions because we still have Ankole cows, mats, ghee, and other items that define us as a region. The Ankole cattle should draw visitors from near and far, and on the way to Bushenyi, they should visit at tea estates. Additionally, each region should have its own enterprise for cultural preservation, in that if a visitor goes to Fort Portal they should find the cultures they expect among other regions.
The deputy RCC for Mbarara, Robert Kanusu, commended the ministry for its domestic tourism activities, saying that they outweighed the country’s sole reliance on foreign visitors.
”Countries like China have grown their tourism industries through domestic tourism as a significant portion of the population enjoys visits within their own country,” he said. Since the government made laudable efforts to foster a sense of patriotism and love for their country, which keeps the money flowing in the Chinese economy rather than when one travels outside and spends it in the foreign economies’’.
He continued, “Initiatives like this yield results in countries where they are put into practice, and I believe this domestic tourism promotional caravan that started will lead a long way with satisfied outcomes as most locals learn to value domestic tourism in Uganda.
As part of the CSR initiative at Bulembia Primary School in Kasese district, Hon. Martin Bahinduka Mugarra implored students on the importance of preserving the environment because poor environmental management was a major factor in the Kasese floods, which had a significant negative impact on people and slowed the area’s growth. He also urged them to continue their education because it would help them succeed as adults.
Tourism Recovery in Uganda
The year 2022 saw an increase in international tourist arrivals to 814,508, accounting for 58.8% of all arrivals, representing a recovery level of 52.8% compared to 2021, where 512,945 visitor arrivals were recorded, representing a slight increase of 8.4% from 2020. This indicates that the tourism industry is gradually returning to normal in Uganda. Over 85% of inbound tourists to Uganda came from African source markets, including neighbouring countries like Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan (about 87.8% of all foreign visitors), and overseas visitors arrived from Europe, Asia, and the USA, with leisure and vacation travelers’ average stays increasing from 7.6 to 11 days. Additionally, visitor exports contributed 12.2% of all exports in 2022 and 41.4% of service exports, generating UGX2,718.0 billion (USD 0.736 billion).
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