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A DECLINE IN UGANDA’S TOURISM SECTOR
Monday, August 15th, 2011 Uganda Tour operators have condemned the planned resumption of the walk-to-work campaign thinking that it will hurt the tourism industry and the country’s economy.
The operators under the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) say that the industry and the economy had taken a huge knock from the April–May protests that were characterised by violence.
Tourism in Uganda takes the second position in the country’s foreign exchange earner. Any resumption of the protests is likely to hurt the industry and consequently the national economy. Whatever happens affects both the industry and the economy negatively. Something must be done.
Uganda Tour operators asked the Government of Uganda and opposition leaders to resolve the matter amicably. These disruptions would hit the economy given the losses suffered by the tourism and hotel industry in the previous protests.
In the last protests, the tourism industry lost about 30% (about $340,000) of the Uganda safari bookings, while the hotel industry lost 70% of its booking. If this happens again, the economy will suffer. We condemn the walk-to-work protests
the tour operators disclosed that some of them have had to refund advance payments by tourists who were forced to call off their trips following the earlier protests.
Opposition parties last week announced that they would resume the walk-to-work campaign in protest of the soaring cost commodity prices.
Kampala courts have dismissed several cases against party leaders in connection with the May protests.
The tour operators also blamed the Government’s violent reaction to the protesters.
They argued that though the current economic situation was largely due to the global economic crisis, it was partly so because of the after effects of the protests.
The operators under the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) say that the industry and the economy had taken a huge knock from the April–May protests that were characterised by violence.
Tourism in Uganda takes the second position in the country’s foreign exchange earner. Any resumption of the protests is likely to hurt the industry and consequently the national economy. Whatever happens affects both the industry and the economy negatively. Something must be done.
Uganda Tour operators asked the Government of Uganda and opposition leaders to resolve the matter amicably. These disruptions would hit the economy given the losses suffered by the tourism and hotel industry in the previous protests.
In the last protests, the tourism industry lost about 30% (about $340,000) of the Uganda safari bookings, while the hotel industry lost 70% of its booking. If this happens again, the economy will suffer. We condemn the walk-to-work protests
the tour operators disclosed that some of them have had to refund advance payments by tourists who were forced to call off their trips following the earlier protests.
Opposition parties last week announced that they would resume the walk-to-work campaign in protest of the soaring cost commodity prices.
Kampala courts have dismissed several cases against party leaders in connection with the May protests.
The tour operators also blamed the Government’s violent reaction to the protesters.
They argued that though the current economic situation was largely due to the global economic crisis, it was partly so because of the after effects of the protests.
Gorilla tracking fees lowered for peak seasons
Friday, May 20th, 2011 THE The Uganda Wild life Authority (UWA) has slashed fees for gorilla tracking permits by about 60% to both locals and foreigners.
UWA executive director, Dr. Andrew Seguya, announced on Tuesday in Kampala that the fee for East Africans – Ugandan trackers inclusive will be Ush.100,000/= from Ush 250,000, US$250 from US$475 for Foreign Residents and US$350 from US$500 for Foreign Non residents.
These promotional rates are applicable only for the low months of March, April, May, October and November. For the peak months rates will remain Ush 250,000, US$475 and US$500 respectively.
This, he explained is meant to attract more tourists to Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and other tourism sites in the country. It is now on record that Gorilla trekking provides over 50% of tourism revenue for Uganda.
From a recent census, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park now has a total of about 32 gorilla groups. Of the 32 groups, nine are habituated of which eight are utilized for tourism while one is used for research. The total number of gorillas in Bwindi is about 340 which is almost over half of the estimated 720 Mountain gorillas in the world.
UWA executive director, Dr. Andrew Seguya, announced on Tuesday in Kampala that the fee for East Africans – Ugandan trackers inclusive will be Ush.100,000/= from Ush 250,000, US$250 from US$475 for Foreign Residents and US$350 from US$500 for Foreign Non residents.
These promotional rates are applicable only for the low months of March, April, May, October and November. For the peak months rates will remain Ush 250,000, US$475 and US$500 respectively.
This, he explained is meant to attract more tourists to Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and other tourism sites in the country. It is now on record that Gorilla trekking provides over 50% of tourism revenue for Uganda.
From a recent census, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park now has a total of about 32 gorilla groups. Of the 32 groups, nine are habituated of which eight are utilized for tourism while one is used for research. The total number of gorillas in Bwindi is about 340 which is almost over half of the estimated 720 Mountain gorillas in the world.
COMMUNITY TOURISM PROJECTS IN UGANDA
Friday, May 13th, 2011 Ugandan local communities are encouraged to participate in the establishment community tourism projects in order to benefit from Uganda’s tourism industry. More emphasis has been put on communities settling near Uganda’ national parks, game reserves and other tourist attractions in Uganda like Source of the Nile tour, Bujagali falls a rafting safari destination, Bwindi gorilla safari park, culture centres and others .
Items to consider are handcrafts like baskets, mats, African sandals, bark clothes, printed clothes and these will portray our African culture to the whites. The Nubian community has so far launched its Nubian Community Tourism Initiative in Bombo specializing in craft making and cultural performances. This place can be easily accessed on the way to Murchison falls Wildlife safari park.
Posted by: Gorilla safari Holidays
Items to consider are handcrafts like baskets, mats, African sandals, bark clothes, printed clothes and these will portray our African culture to the whites. The Nubian community has so far launched its Nubian Community Tourism Initiative in Bombo specializing in craft making and cultural performances. This place can be easily accessed on the way to Murchison falls Wildlife safari park.
Posted by: Gorilla safari Holidays
The Uganda National Theatre offers Cultural galas.
Monday, May 9th, 2011Tranquil like a Hindu temple in India, the National Theatre of Uganda tends to be on many occasions. But with Percussion Discussion playing excitedly, young girls in creative African Cultural wear, walking on the runway, a variety of items on display like African crafts, bags, pots, wall hangings- the mood changed, and the theatre took on a life that befits a theatre. That was courtesy of the Cultural Gala that took place from Tuesday to Thursday. A short cultural safari tour around Kampala city will take you to see the theatre staff moving up and down visibly excited about cultural initiative.
The gala celebrates African culture. Percussions Discussion do not only fill the air with the unique sounds of local drums, they also live true to the meaning of the Cultural gala Tour in Africa. Dressed in Mbugo (backcloth), makes one cheer the crowd for all the days while on stage performing. The runway is the place that arouse the most excitement, cause of the fun partly, the models are just ordinary African people and not super models.
Some put on really tough faces, while others seemed like they want to vanish into thin air halfway the walk. It is through this gale that many African designers get a chance to showcase their creativity as lots of pictures may be taken while on display.
The Bonfire group at the Uganda National Theatre also brings surprise. They are know for hip hop, particularly lugaflow, but they have now teamed up with Congolese singers (refugees), to make Bonfire Afro Band which serves a mixture of Lugaflow and Lingala to the audience’s amusement. House of Talent was hardly known to many, but having displayed ability to put up performances from numerous local African tribes, plus the girls who dance like it was inborn thing.Besides, the music, and the pigmies from Kasese who draw attention when it comes to Africa’s cultural attractions, the Cultural gala offers a variety of traditional foods, not to be missed while on any Africa Holiday Tour.
Nevertheless, finally the National Theatre seems to be rising to the occasion and taking its rightful place as the Uganda Cultural Tour Centre.
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Uganda gorilla safari Holidays.
INVADERS OF MT. ELGON PARK ORDERED TO LEAVE PARK
Saturday, May 7th, 2011 In bid to save the lives of the people due to a 40 kilometre visible crack across Mt Elgon hiking safari park and check the soaring encroachment, the Minister of Tourism has ordered the encroachers to leave the park immediately or face being forced out by the army and police.
It is the government’s position and policy that all encroachers should leave the park in order to save people living on the slopes of Mt. Elgon safari park from eminent landslides.
It has been reported that local communities have started settling in areas of Mukoto, Sono, Tsekululu, Namisindwa, Bukokho and Bumbo ridge and gorge up to the bamboo zone in the park.
“The 40km deepening crack reveals there is looming danger for you people staying around. Uganda Wildlife Authority and geologists have warned people about this. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, local leaders, RDCs have been requested to order people to evacuate from the cliff and gorge forcefully. Nobody should be there.
Scientists have indicated that because of massive encroachment, Mt. Elgon as a water catchment area is facing depletion at a very high rate, the soils are getting lose with cracks across the mountain hiking tour and anytime there will be another Bududa here. Nature has to be saved for conservation purposes and tourism activities in Mt Elgon should not be hindered such activities include cave painting, waterfalls, days hikes, and others.
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Gorilla safari Holidays
It is the government’s position and policy that all encroachers should leave the park in order to save people living on the slopes of Mt. Elgon safari park from eminent landslides.
It has been reported that local communities have started settling in areas of Mukoto, Sono, Tsekululu, Namisindwa, Bukokho and Bumbo ridge and gorge up to the bamboo zone in the park.
“The 40km deepening crack reveals there is looming danger for you people staying around. Uganda Wildlife Authority and geologists have warned people about this. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, local leaders, RDCs have been requested to order people to evacuate from the cliff and gorge forcefully. Nobody should be there.
Scientists have indicated that because of massive encroachment, Mt. Elgon as a water catchment area is facing depletion at a very high rate, the soils are getting lose with cracks across the mountain hiking tour and anytime there will be another Bududa here. Nature has to be saved for conservation purposes and tourism activities in Mt Elgon should not be hindered such activities include cave painting, waterfalls, days hikes, and others.
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Gorilla safari Holidays
FUNDS GIVEN TO UGANDA’S TOURISM SECTOR
Thursday, May 5th, 2011 The tourism sector in Uganda has been funded 468 billion for Value Added Tax reimbursements and claims to the Protected Areas Management for Sustainable Use (PAMSU) project long after it ended in 2008, the PAMSU Commission of Inquiry discovered yesterday. This money has been added in 2010 – 2011 annual budget by the Finance Ministry.The commission discovered that the ministry received another Shs3.468 billion this financial year under the same claims but never accounted for it. That notwithstanding, the Finance Ministry has gone ahead to give another Shs3.468b, making a total of Shs6.936 billion. The commission yesterday called the disbursements an abuse of tax payers’ money . A bout 78 bank accounts were opened between 2002 and 2008 for Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) but the Finance ministry has no record of them. None of the bank accounts was approved by the UWA board of directors and there are no minutes of any meeting discussing any bank accounts meant fro the development of tourism activities in Uganda like like gorilla tracking safaris, Wildlife Holidays, Uganda safari parks and other safari activities in t he various National parks of Uganda ( Bwindi gorilla safari park). The commission is investigating the manner in which a $38 million (about Shs85 billion) grant from the World Bank was spent under the PAMSU project overseen by UWA. The project in which the government contributed Shs1 billion, was aimed at infrastructural and capacity building of 10 national parks in Uganda. The commission’s chairperson Retired Supreme Court Judge promised to talk to the responsible bodies to end further disbursements.
Gorilla Holidays Africa
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 Traveling to
Cultural safaris in Bwindi Gorilla trekking Park
Friday, December 3rd, 2010 Though gorilla trekking is the top attraction in the Impenetrable forest on Bwindi, Visitors Planning to take CULTURE CULTURE TOUR can visit the following places.
The local community operates a village walk which takes visitors 3 hours of their Africa safari Adventure. This Africa safari leads one to the life style and African culture. Safari attraction are Traditional homesteads, Traditional doctor healing people, local breweries music and African Traditional dances.
For gorilla trekking safaris in Mkuringo Family of gorillas there is village walk organised leading to the blacksmith , Rural homesteds, Traditional healers and cultural attractions.
Other Culture safaris combine Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari park, Murchison falls safari, Nshenyi Village walk, Kampala city tour to the historical sites.
The local community operates a village walk which takes visitors 3 hours of their Africa safari Adventure. This Africa safari leads one to the life style and African culture. Safari attraction are Traditional homesteads, Traditional doctor healing people, local breweries music and African Traditional dances.
For gorilla trekking safaris in Mkuringo Family of gorillas there is village walk organised leading to the blacksmith , Rural homesteds, Traditional healers and cultural attractions.
Other Culture safaris combine Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari park, Murchison falls safari, Nshenyi Village walk, Kampala city tour to the historical sites.
Birding Holidays in Uganda
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010 AT first sight they look like cotton buds dropping from the blue sky. After close scrutiny, it is evident they are migratory birds carpeting Lutembe Beach. This time round, they are not the common birds, but migratory one’s arriving from overseas. Uganda as a birding safari destiantion known for its 20 million migrant birds migration annually . He adds. Bird species include a ringed lesser black-backed gull, was monitored as it flew all the way from the Caspian Sea to Lake Victoria birding tour . Comparably, unlike the Boeing aeroplanes, it had the longest and toughest migratory bird flight ever recorded in the world.” Other migratory species are known to have stopovers and rest while having such long journeys. Then there are the swift ones that “dine” on insects while in flight. “Like the lesser black-back gull, most birds come here for refuge from the harsh winter conditions in Europe. They are often destined for lakeshores, swamps and forests,” he says. Byaruhanga narrates how scientists tracked some birds with satellite tags in the past. According to their findings, a species called godwit remains the champion among migrant birds. By tagging them, the researchers were able to show just how far the birds fly. “When you hold them in your hands, they are very fragile little things,” says Byaruhanga. “They are naturally designed for travel. But there are those that are incredibly fat. Some have trouble balancing in the air — it’s like it has a pound of butter under its skin. We know that they arrive in the Mabira Forest, Lake Victoria and Queen Elizabeth National Park.” What time do they embark on their flight? Byaruhanga says: “After sunset, the surface of the earth cools and warm air rises, turbulence in the air decreases and the atmosphere becomes increasingly more stable — it is time to take off.” He adds: “In terms of energy use, this is the time birds can maximise their efficiency by flying in a less turbulent atmosphere. Many species of birds migrate at night to reap these energy-saving benefits. They often take off 30 to 45 minutes after sunset.” Their holiday in Uganda ends around March-April and they fly back home. Their destinations include South Korea, China and Japan. This means flying more than 10,000km in just about a week. But a member of the Uganda Bird Guides Association (UBGA), Hassan Mutebi, says some birds, while in transit, find patches of greenery like Lutembe Beach where they rest and refuel in the middle of their journey. “When they stop here, they are responding to internal factors that need replenishment like fat required in flight,” Mutebi adds. “Interestingly, they vary in size. There are the very heavy ones, which dine vigorously in preparation for a none stop trip.” Down at the lakeshores of Lake Victoria, the fishing folk have traditional beliefs about the birds’ arrival. One Goddie Lule says they are sent by the gods, the birds rarely perch on trees. Lule shakes his head in disbelief saying: “You can’t believe it, some of them are carnivorous yet our conventional ones prey on small insects, frogs, mice, rats and snakes!” There are women there who believe the birds bring happiness and good luck. “I even let them build nests in my bedroom,” one says. Another UBGA member, Herbert Byaruhanga, insists that these migratory birds are attracted here by the availability of fish stocks in water bodies, insects and the numerous reptiles. “They come to feast and go back to Europe to mate the next summer,” says H. Byaruhanga. “They are here to feed and restore their energy as they prepare for the long flight back home.” After observing them closely, he asserts that the migration period is a critical one in their annual cycles. “They spend up to 90% of their time resting and regaining energy to go back home and multiply.” Asked how and why they choose Uganda as a destination, H. Byaruhanga attributes it to the flight being dictated to these ambassadors of diversity. “They come following the River Nile, dodging the Sahara Desert and instinctively touch down in Uganda, where there is good weather and plenty of food.” Migrants imitate and attract shy birds out of the woods. Byaruhanga says: “They have an identifiable accent that varies from that of their counterparts in Uganda. The coo of the pigeons at Trafalgar Square is different from that of our local ones. Besides, they are able to dine on one’s palms unlike the one here.” Over 20 million birds spread have made homes in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable gorilla safari Park, Semiliki National Park, Kibale chimpanzee tracking safari Park, Mabira Forest, Mabamba Wetland, Botanical Gardens, Lake Mburo wildlife safari park , Bodongo Forest, Mgahinga Gorilla tour Forest and Bigodi Swamp.
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