Uganda’s tourism sector grew by a stunning 47.6% in 2015, compared to 5.2% economic growth according to a CNN survey.
The country is once again becoming a popular safari destination and according to the Executive Director of the Uganda Tourism Board, Dr. Andrew Seguya, the country’s tourism industry got a massive boost last year as it improved its marketing campaign and it’s not a surprise because they worked so hard.
“My people at UTB have been working very hard after challenges of Ebola and the terrorist bombings in Kenya that made the numbers drop in 2014. The recognition by CNN the biggest media outlet in the world is confidence in us as a country and as the tourism sector,” Seguya told EagleOnline in a telephone interview.
The country has improved its marketing strategy, touting its wildlife tourism — including popular gorilla treks and everybody who comes to Uganda gets infected with our facilities,” he added.
With the Easter weekend upon us, Seguya advises Ugandans to embrace domestic tourism pointing at the places to take a holiday like – the beautiful Lake Mutanda in Kisoro, floating down the crocodile-flanked Nile, fishing on Lake Victoria, wandering among the elephant herds of Queen Elizabeth National Park or listening to the roar of mighty Murchison Falls.
Several outfitters offer whitewater rafting and kayaking trips down the Nile, past snoozing crocodiles and snorting hippos. Nile High Bungee in Jinja offers an adrenalin-packed plunge (44 meters) into the world’s longest river.
You can also board surf down rapids, whoosh down rivers on jetboats and organize sports fishing trips to catch the river monster of central Africa — Nile perch that can grow up to 200 kilograms.
The holy grail of Uganda wildlife watching is Bwindi Forest, where roughly half of the world’s mountain gorillas reside.
A clear salute to all Ugandans who have taken time to promote our gifted country to the rest of the world its not some easy , Number of tour and travel companies are doing that every day , Its good that now the CNN is ranking Uganda , thumbs-up to CNN , When we fist started our tour and travel company some time back that is Gorilla Tour Booking Safaris Ltd we faced a lot of challenges just to build a website for our tour packages in Uganda and Rwanda it costed us a lot that is http://www.gorillatourbooking.com . I wise even BBC can do the same as CNN
A great achievement for Uganda…
Rafting, kayaking and other activities on the rapids of the Nile are mentioned many times in this article. Yet the truth is that the Isimba Dam will likely put these tourism activities into the history books in 2018.
Uganda’s leaders must work together so that development can proceed in all areas of the economy. They should not have to destroy the booming tourism industry for energy demands when a smaller dam at Isimba would achieve both objectives.