Internet and Tourism are closely virtually intermarried and co – exist especially when it comes to destination marketing, selling of tourism products, and also bookings and payments among others.
The boost in Gorilla tracking activities and visits in Uganda’s Western region based Bwindi Impenetrable National – the Gorilla hub, DRC and Rwanda has mainly been due to proper increased usage of internet and social media by travelers who showcase to the world the course of embarking on an adventure in Uganda for enticing their colleagues across the World and the region to take on a memorable trip to the same spots or anyother destinations of their own.
When it comes to promoting Gorilla tracking in Bwindi – Internet and Social media are big tools that also enable bookings and cashless transactions to take place.
According to a Bwindi Impenetrable Forest chief warden – Newton Guma – Uganda boasts of housing upto 50% of the World’s surviving mountain gorillas besides the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda combined, and therefore the internet stands a big weapon in promoting tourism products in the region and across the World through social media platforms where also more of the country’s tourism products and attractions are portrayed to the world and also enabling payment transactions to take place virtually.
Uganda Wildlife Chief Executive Office Sam Mwandha reveals that to reinstate Gorilla tracking in Uganda, the 50% gate fee discounts remain effective till 31st March 2021 to enable travelers pay visits given the Covid – 19 lockdowns and the situations that left many without enough resources given that they weren’t working at the time although as it still is in some parts of the world.
Sam adds that, ‘’Foreign residents given the discounts will therefore pay $400 whereas Local residents will pay as low as $300 for the Gorilla tracking activity in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’’.
Uganda Tourism Board – Marketing Manager Claire Mugabi defines the role of Golden boy / medallist Joshua Cheptegei in promoting Uganda’s tourism given his International brand name and title and thus early this month was selected to the role of Destination Uganda brand Ambassador at a colourful event at Golf course hotel in Kampala.
Claire notes that,’’ Cheptegei is entitled to posting all Tourism activities and excursions he embarks on to his Social media pages given his vast following due to the championship titles globally’’.
She further reveals that, ‘’the Gorilla tracking package is pimped with bonuses and that also, besides paying a visit to the primates, Bwindi boats of the Batwa community of pygmies who entertain visitors with their lifestyle, forest birds, reptiles and rich history’’.
Arguably, Uganda has the highest number when it comes to mountain gorillas within the two gorilla trekking zones; Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest is also known as ‘’The Place of darkness’’ because of its dense canopies with her montane and lowland forests sitting on 128 square miles. With its incredible biodiversity and the highest number of endangered species, the region was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has full accounts of 13 square miles with three of the major eight Virunga peaks including Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabyinyo.
In 2019, the forest had a combined total of 40, 576 gorilla tracking visitors which decreased in the due course and worsened by the outbreak of Covid – 19 plus its effects such as the March 2020 lockdown in Uganda which brought about a halt in Gorilla tracking activities, crippled many livelihoods in the communities, camps, craft sellers, tour guides among other categories to tourism individual and group contributors and suppliers.
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