Solutions to Solve the Above Tourism Problems

The following are the measures being taken solve the problems facing the tourism industry or the measures taken to develop the industry:

The government of Uganda is acquiring capital through borrowing internally from Bank of Uganda and externally from World Bank, IMF and donor countries like USA, UK and others to set up tourist facilities such as play grounds like Mandela stadium funded by China, roads like Entebbe and Ggaba roads, hotels like Serena and Speke Resort Munyonyo and air strips like Entebbe international airport. This is because these facilities are also tourist attractions themselves.
There is eradication of poaching and uncontrolled game cropping through establishment of strong anti -poaching laws, regular patrol by a well-equipped anti-poaching squad in national parks and reserves such as Kidepo, L.Mburo and Queen Elizabeth national park of mainly elephants and antelopes. This has ensured that the population of animals multiplies hence attracting more tourists.
The government is diversifying for other economic activities avoid problem of seasonality of the tourism industry. For example it has embarked on Cobalt recycling at Kasese and tourism in Queen Elizabeth; forestry, oil mining and tourism in Semliki valley, etc to ensure economic diversity.
Training and retraining of workers in the tourism industry is being done to improve on the skills of the tourist attendants hence better services for the tourists. For example tourism courses are offered at Makerere University, Institute of tourism in Jinja and hotels such as Serena, Africana and Sheraton also equip their staff in customer care services for quality tourist services.
Spraying of national parks and game reserves is being undertaken by pest control department on behalf of UWA in order to eradicate pests such as tsetse flies in infested parks like Murchison, South Busoga forests and L.Mburo which cause nagana to wild animals like elephants, zebras and antelope families.
There is construction of pipes to direct pollutants underground from Kasese cobalt factory and Hima cement factory in order to solve the problem of environmental pollution in Rwenzori and Queen Elizabeth N.Ps instead of being pushed in the atmosphere.
Uganda wildlife Authority is educating people the values of wildlife conservation and preservation as well as hospitality among the people through seminars, workshops and mass media organized near game parks like Bwindi, Rwenzori, Mbarara near L. Mburo, Kidepo national park and Entebbe wildlife centre. This is because the success of tourism partly depends upon the moral, spiritual and economic support of the people.
The government is ensuring a stable political climate which is conducive for tourists. This has been through promoting democracy and training and creation of a strong army, police force and local defense personnel. E.g. the UPDF is restoring security in Kasese through fighting the ADF rebels in Rwenzori and Mgahinga national parks, in the north Kony (LRA) have been wiped out from most areas like Pader, Kitgum, Kilak, Otze and Mt.Kei sanctuaries making them now accessible and Karamojong warriors have been disarmed for accessibility to Bokora Koridor game reserve and Kidepo valley.
The Uganda tourism board and UWA is intensifying and increasing the level of advertisement both locally and internationally. It prints brochures, T-shirts, magazines and stickers to be used for advertisement. Local wildlife films are broadcasted on local like UBC and international television channels such as the Cable News Network (CNN), Skynet, and Discovery channel so as to attract more tourists.
The government is attracting private investment both local and foreign to put up and manage tourist facilities such as Hotels, Lodges, Restaurants and others through sounding economic policies like tax concessions, holiday, loans etc. For example the Mweya safari lodge has been taken over by foreigners for better management, Nile hotel was taken over by Serena hotels for better management and handling of tourists during the CHOGM summit, Speke resort Munyonyo is co-owned by the government and Sudhir, etc.
The Ugandan government is promoting through adverts the country as a destination for bird viewing at L. Mburo and on Ssese islands since it is rich in bird species, water rafting along Victoria Nile and sport fishing on L. Victoria beaches like in Entebbe Wildlife centres. These and other tourist attractions have been of interest to special groups of tourists like the ecologists and the botanists.
Ministry of transport and communication is improving accessibility to areas of tourist attractions. Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara road and Kampala – Kasese – Fort Portal road are always upgraded to maintain access to L. Mburo and Queen Elizabeth national parks. An air strip was constructed in Kasese to transport tourists in the area to Mt. Rwenzori and Rwenzori national park, another at Jinja to create access to Bujagali falls and the source of the Nile and Entebbe airport has been upgraded to international standards.
Uganda’s government is waiving the visa requirements for foreign visitors from over 30 countries such as India, China, Sweden, Denmark, UK, USA, Canada, etc which are the major tourist market source so as to increase on the number of tourists in the Kidepo, Bwindi, Elgon, Queeen Elizabeth, and other gazetted areas which in turn has increased on the foreign exchange.
Uganda wildlife Authority is preventing settlement and agricultural encroachment in the game parks and reserves. For example the Bakiga who settled in the Kibale forest reserve have been resettled elsewhere and the area is now gazetted as a National park, the encroachment on Mt. Elgon National park in Bududa was followed by eviction done by Uganda Wildlife Authority, cattle keepers from Buliisa stopped from invading on Murchison falls N.P, …
The government of Uganda through Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA) is encouraging local Ugandans to visit the tourist attractions throughout the year. This is done through giving them subsides such as less payment on entry to game parks and wildlife centres like Entebbe wildlife centre so as to increase on the number of tourists in times when the foreigners are not here.
The government is privatizing former state hotels such as Nile hotel, Grand imperial hotel and Equatorial hotel for better management of tourist accommodation. Private tour and travel companies for tourists have also come up to transport tourists at attractive and negotiable prices such as Rwenzori tour and travel in Kampala, Uganda Safari Company, Back packers in Kampala and many others.
The ministry of tourism and ministry of Education through UWA is setting up wildlife clubs in schools and Universities such as Makerere, Mbarara, Uganda Martyrs and Nkumba universities as well as wildlife education centres at Entebbe to increase wildlife conservation awareness among youngsters.
Many foreign languages are now being taught in schools, colleges and higher institutes of learning like Makerere and Kyambogo Universities e.g. German, French, Latin, Kiswahili, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, etc so as to produce translators and tour guides who can deal with tourists from non English speaking countries such as Japan, Korea, India, China, France,…
Modern accommodation facilities in form of lodges are being established in game parks. For example Uganda Safari Company runs the Semliki lodge in Semliki valley, Apoka lodge in Kidepo valley N .Park, Clouds lodge in Bwindi impenetrable forest N.P, Land mark in Soroti and Kampala and Triangle hotel in Kampala.
Game hunting sports have been adopted to attract tourists. For example the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) granted the Uganda Wildlife Authority permission to allow tourists hunt Leopards. A maximum of 28 leopards are killed annually. Each trophy hunter (tourist) pays US $ 50,000 (83 M) per leopard killed.
Uganda wildlife Authority and the parliament have gazetted more National parks and game reserves so as to increase the number of parks and game reserves. For example they recently gazetted Mgahinga for Chimps, Kibale and Rwenzori as N.Ps as a positive attitude and policy towards the conservation of wildlife which are the tourist attractions.
Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA) is driving stray animals like elephants in Luwero, Kibale and Nakasongola back to game reserves and National parks. Endangered animal species are kept at Entebbe wildlife centre and given treatment. And of recent in April 2009, UWA bought two lionesses which kept at Entebbe centre for multiplication with a lion there.
The government is creating a number of bodies related to tourism e.g. Uganda Tourism board , Uganda wildlife authority, NEMA, NFA, etc to ensure the smooth running of the industry as well as effective conservation and preservation of wildlife.

Sample Questions:

To what extent is it justifiable to allocate such large land areas to National parks and Wildlife reserves in Uganda?
Discuss the contribution of game parks and game reserves to the economic development of Uganda
Giving specific examples, discuss the obstacles, which have hindered the development of the tourism industry in Uganda.
Explain the measures being taken to address the tourism obstacles.
“Uganda’s tourist industry is not only based on tourist attractions”

Discuss.

To what extent have physical factors led to the development of the tourism industry in Uganda?
“Uganda’s paradise combines all the most understanding attractions of the great African continent” (Source: welcome to Uganda: the land of sunshine! Tours and travel Ltd). With reference to specific examples, justify this statement.
To what extent has wildlife provided a basis for the tourism Industry?
To what extent has scenic beauty favoured the development of the tourism industry in Uganda?
Assess the impact of wildlife conservation to the economy of uganda

Sample Approach:

Candidates are expected to;

Define the key word (s) in the question.
Cite out the status / stand/ situation (+ve / -ve) of the major sector.
Identify, describe and locate of the sub – sectors of the major sector in Uganda.
Draw a sketch map showing the sub – sectors of the major sector with name of places.
State, explain and then illustrate the how far (the extent to which) are the physical factors responsible for in relation to the sub – sectors of the major sector.
Finally state, explain and then illustrate the however side of the other factors responsible for in relation to the sub – sectors of the major sector in Uganda besides physical factors.

State, explain and then illustrate the points (both positive and negative contribution / physical and human factors) in relation to the sub – sectors of the major sector in Uganda

S.5 Geography III

Solutions to Solve the Above Tourism Problems