Factors that Favoured the Development of the Tourism Industry in Uganda
Uganda is endowed with variety of faunas (wild animals) like elephants, zebras, antelopes, lions, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, snakes, lizards, crocodiles, hippopotamus, fish, ostriches, woodpeckers, vultures, crested cranes, gray parrots and others found in the national parks, game reserves, sanctuaries and zoos such as Kidepo, Mgahinga, Murchison, Lake Mburo, Entebbe Wildlife centre, etc.
Uganda has a beautiful scenery composed of relief features both volcanic and block mountains like Elgon and Rwenzori; drainage features like lake Victoria as biggest in Africa, Katwe, Mutanda, and Albert, and Victoria Nile river Sezibwa and Katongo, Ggaba beach, Lido beach and Garuga golf course; Western rift valley, Butiaba escarpment and Kichwamba escarpment; glaciated features like Lau du Speke on Mt. Rwenzori; etc are all great tourist attraction for Uganda’s tourism sector.
Uganda is with varied floras / vegetation types found in different parts of Uganda which have offered a natural beauty over the landscape. For instance equatorial rainforests like Mabira, Budongo, Malabigambo, Ssese islands; montane forests like Mt. Elgon, Rwenzori, Muhavura; dry golden savanna at Muhokya in Kasese, Mburo and Murchison and swamps like Nabajuzi, Mpologoma, etc have attracted tourists for different pleasure activities such as camping, filming, adventure and ecological studies.
Existence of the unique traditional norms, cultures and black races have the favoured the tourism sector. Uganda has various cultures due to the variety of tribes e.g. Gishu, Ganda, Toro and Lango, etc. Tourists come and view the Ugandan cultural dressings, entertainment, rituals and human colour which are quite different from those of the Americans, Asians and Europeans. Some tribal societies are still primitive and even walk naked like the Konjo and Karamojong which offer chances for eco – tourism.
Uganda is experienced with equatorial warm and hot climate is around L. Victoria areas; tropical in Soroti, Lira, Gulu and Rakai; semi-arid is in Karamoja region and Kasese and varied montane climate on mountains of Rwenzori and Elgon which is a unique feature not found in every country. More to that, most parts of Uganda receive adequate sunshine at all times of the year because they are crossed through by the equator which all have attracted people from temperate countries like Britain, Iceland, Russia, USA, Canada and Finland to enjoy sun bathing and other adventures.
Presence of important historical sites and forts such as Nyero rock paintings in Kumi, Pakuba in Gulu, Walasi in Mbale, Tanda in Mpigi, Sanga hills stone age site in Masaka Kagadi in Bundibugyo, Parajok and Padibek in Kitgum, Kasubi tombs Namugongo Martyrs shrines and Fort Lugard in Kampala have all attracted various tourists because of their historical and cultural significance.
Uganda, since 1986 has been stabilized in most parts of Uganda thus calling for many tourists. Most of the parks and reserves like Murchison falls and Lake Mburo are in politically stable areas of Masindi and Mbarara respectively. Those which are insecure like Kibaale, Kidepo and Bwindi peace is always ensured by UPDF and game rangers.
Well-developed accommodation facilities have been put in place in different parts of Uganda to provide the necessary services to the tourists e.g. Grand Imperial hotel in Kampala, Kampala Sheraton, Mwea lodge in Kasese, Imperial Hotel at Entebbe, Mountain Elgon hotel in Mbale, White horse inn in Kabale and Speke Hotel in Kampala, Apoka lodge in Kidepo valley, Clouds lodge in Bwindi have been set up to offer excellent tourist services.
Welcoming attitude and good hospitality among the Ugandans such as Baganda, Basoga, Bakonjo and Japhadhola as they willing receive, guide and serve the tourists has also played a big part in attracting the tourists in the places like in Kampala at Kasubi tombs, Namugongo shrines and Uganda Museum; in Jinja at the Source of Nile and Bujagali falls; Mt. Rwenzori and Tororo hill rocks respectively.
Simplified Physical, Economic and Human Geography P250/3 Notes.
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Existence of fairly developed transport and communication systems in areas where the tourists attractions are e.g. roads from Kampala to different parts of Uganda like Kabale (Mgahinga and Bwindi), Mbale (Mt. Elgon, Sippi falls and Nyero rock), Kasese (Queen Elizabeth, Katwe and Toro kingdom), Gulu (Baker’ Fort and R. Aswa), etc have been rehabilitated and constructed. Entebbe international airport has been renovated to the expected standards and other air strips such as Gulu, Arua, Kasese and Soroti for easy transport in Uganda have been developed and reactivated. The communication companies are also up to date by use of mobile phones for easy communication services in case of booking like MTN, Smart, Warid, Orange and UTL.
The tourism industry through Uganda Tourism Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority have taken an initiative of intensively advertising Uganda’s tourist attractions both at local and international level in form of short films, embassies, brochures, newspapers like New Vision, magazines, booklets, trade fairs, road side posters on Entebbe road, radio and television like CNN (Gifted by nature), WBS (Pearl of Uganda), Record (Pearl adventure) and NTV (Sights and Sounds) to improve the tourism image and attract more tourists to Uganda.
Presence of trained and skilled man power to serve and manage the tourism industry in different related activities possible because of the tourism training courses offered at Makerere University and at Institute of tourism in Jinja. Serena, Africana and Sheraton international hotel also equip their staff in customer care services for quality services to tourists.
There are easy entry requirements for tourists from countries where tourists come from. The Ugandan government has eased visa requirements for tourists from different countries which are major tourist donors at embassy headquarters in countries such as USA, Canada, UK, Sweden, Germany and Asian countries.
The tour operation services have been revised and privatized to improve on the movement packages of the tourists to the various tourism centres. These tour agencies have organized tourist packages and movements at attractive prices such as Rwenzori travel and Tour agency in Kampala, Uganda Safari Company, Back packers in Kampala, Crescent Tour and Travel ltd, in Kampala, etc.
Ugandan government through its policies of liberalization and privatization has attracted both local and foreign investors in the tourism industry by exempting them from taxes, giving them incentives to carry out their businesses e.g. Sarova hotel in the Murchison falls national park is operated by Madhvan, Speke resort Munyonyo is managed by Sudhir group of Companies, etc.
Mass sensitization and education has been implemented to the Ugandans to have interest, positive attitude and appreciate the value of tourist attractions such as forest reserves, fauna and swamps and the tourism industry as a whole through seminars, workshops, radios like CBS and televisions like UBC, NTV and WBS spearheaded by UWA and NEMA.
Presence of initial capital to invest and develop tourism industry from Ugandan government, local investors and foreign donors such as the European Union and World Bank to put up infrastructures like roads , air crafts, education centres, hotels, training man power, etc. For instance NRM government funded the renovation of Entebbe airport into an international one, upgrading of Ggaba road to Speke hotel Munyonyo, Entebbe road from the airport and to Entebbe wildlife centre and renovating Nile hotel into Serena Hotel. (in the budget for the sector in the 2010/11 financial year was about Shs 2.1 billion ($900,000)
Through government policy, the government organs such as NEMA, NFA and UWA as well as the parliament have gazetted more national parks, game reserves, sanctuaries and other tourist centres in its way of promoting tourism like Semliki N.P, Kibale N.P and Elgon N.P. More still, the ministry of education, courses related to tourism have been put in place such as bachelor of tourism, bachelor of leisure and hospitality, bachelor of hotel and catering offered at MUK and MUBS to uplift the tourism services.
Preservation and conservation of endangered or extincting plants found in forest reserves like Mabira, Bwindi, Kibale, etc and animal species such as Mt. Gorillas in Bwindi, Chimpanzees in Mgahinga forests, White rhinos in L. Mburo, Mt Kei and Otze and giraffes in Kidepo N.P. as well as in Entebbe Wildlife centre for development of tourism industry.
