This brand new week, we bring you our fresh new weekly Top Ten (10) digest for the most important things in Uganda’s Tourism, the world of Aviation and Travel that are trending especially in this Post COVID-19 Era.
As always, we will be giving you highlights that make News rounds all through from start of the week. Below is our Weekly Newsletter for your readership.
01. Uganda Airlines set to commence flights to the Middle East
Uganda Airlines is to take on its maiden intercontinental flights to Dubai on October 1, 2021, using its pair of the new state of the art A330-800Ns fleet.
Through the airline’s social media posts, the flight from it’s hub, Entebbe/Kampala will be conducted tri-weekly (3 days a week). Flight UR444 is scheduled to depart Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, according to the ch-aviation schedules module. It has been timed ahead of the start of the World Expo hosted by Dubai from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.
02. Why millions chose Africa as their ultimate safari destination
More than 30 million tourists visit Africa every year. Over half of the international arrivals are for business purposes, and may partake in tourist activities as well, while 15% travel for pure tourism and 30% visit friends and family.
Tourists select the continent as a destination for wildlife viewing and to enjoy the sunny skies. Africa is the world’s number one destination for safaris which range from the exotic to the very simple.
03. What makes Amuru hotsprings, Guru guru caves unique Destinations?
When talking about Amuru district, it’s literally hard to skip an eye on where the name ‘’Amuru’’ originates and what it entirely means. Two descriptions here to note, the word ‘’Amuru’’ means ‘’Warm’’ and so is the most famous Amuru Hotsprings named due to the heat nature of any hotspring according to the Rwot Justine Ociiti Binyi a resident of Larong Village and also Chief of the Pagak Clan, one of the 152 clans in Acholi sub-region. Like many districts in Uganda, Amuru district was named after its chief town where the district headquarters are situated.
04. Time Up: Ugandans urged to upgrade Passports or miss flights to foreign Countries
With nearly a six months passport renew deadline coming to a close, many Ugandan citizens that haven’t yet renewed or upgraded their ordinary machine-readable passports to the meet the standards of the new East African required Electronic passport stand high chances of flights halt or travelling out of the Country.
Government through the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration under the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be phasing out the old machine-readable passports by 4th April 2022.
05. Entry Protocol to Uganda for British Citizens
The UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British Citizen’ passport, for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Uganda set and enforce entry rules. For further information contact the embassy, high commission or consulate of the country or territory you’re travelling to. You should also consider checking with your transport provider or Travel Company to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.
06. Covid-19 test delays contribute to 90% tourist annulments at Entebbe International Airport
Uganda tour operators are highly chocking on losses as almost 90% tourist cancellations are registered due to the current mistakes brought about by Covid-19 testing delays as these have forwarded their plea outcry to Government.
While at Press briefing on Thursday at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, tour operators among other stakeholders of the tourism industry in Uganda requested Government to outdo Covid-19 testing for arriving tourists who have been vaccinated and tested negative from their home countries prior to travel as this has caused a lot of trip cancellations backed up by huge test charges at Entebbe International Airport.
07. My first trip on a Ugandan train
After a long day running errands around Kampala town, evening has set in and it’s the usual rush hours as everyone is forging ways to get back home. As most of the city dwellers, I set out to get home but I’m not sure which transport means to use. Being a ‘simple’ Ugandan – I don’t own a car, public transport is ideally the only run to option lest no travel.
As I pass by the Uganda Railways, just below Victoria University, a common horn sounded by the city train is heard nearby. Scintillatingly, I recall reading some article on how train services around Kampala had resumed and thought of having a maiden train trip experience. Watching a number of people rush into the reception area, I can’t fight the curiosity and off I follow. Security operatives at the entrance serve me a sanitizer and my temperature is taken before being allowed to the reception.
08. Why Ugandan Gov’t is taxing every passenger flying out
Earlier this week, the Parliament of Uganda decided to impose a mandatory $10 (about Shs35,000) tax on every passenger flying out of the country.
The new tax known as “Tourism Development Levy” is among a number of recommendations put forward by Parliament’s Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry in a recent report.
The main reason to why such a levy was proposed for implementation is that it’s sole purpose is for the general good of different sectors of the economy especially the private sector. Additionally, the levy will help support the tourism industry recover from the financial constraints brought about by the pandemic.
09. Africa’s park tourism crash is a wake-up call. Can we find new ways to finance conservation?
As Covid continues to curb visits to see our iconic wildlife, now is the time to move away from western-led funding models.
That African governments have failed to mobilise funds to conserve their vast protected areas is not in doubt. Countries were just about managing to pay basic salaries to rangers who barely had enough to put fuel in their patrol vehicles. Covid has exacerbated this already dire situation, with the loss of income from foreign tourism.
10. King Oyo maiden ‘’Ekyooto Ha Mpango’’ inaugural event drums warm up as November nears
With the inaugural event bells ringing closer to November 2021, the Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival is a cultural festival showcasing Tooro Kingdom’s rich history and cultural heritage; exhibiting innovations that emanate from the wider Rwenzori region, marketing businesses and investment opportunities in the region and providing a platform to engage in inclusive conversations on the integration of culture and communities in the Tourism business ecosystem.
King Oyo Cuts a tape to launch the Ekyooto Ha Mpango Cultural Festival last Saturday
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