Tourism sector
The Uganda tourism sector is in the process of recovering from the past negative publicity and is receiving some good attention from government and the donor community. The sector is a key contributor to the country’s GDP. The sector is still virgin and has great t potential for further growth.
The government has embarked on the process of creating a conducive environment for attracting investments into the sector. The government affirmative actions include the following:
Improved security situation in the country
- A dedicated Ministry of Tourism
- A government funded Uganda Tourism Board
- A government funded Uganda Wildlife Authority
- A dedicated Ministry of Water and Environment
- Partnerships with the private sector and donor community in mobilizing resources for investment in tourism supporting infrastructure
A lot of private sector investment has been mobilized for hotels, transport, apartments and conference facilities. A lot more is required in transport, airport improvement, capacity building, accommodation facilities in the national parks and creating other wildlife protected areas.
The key drivers for the growth of tourism in Uganda include:
- Increased number of visitors coming to Uganda rising from 946,000 in 2010 to 1,150, 000 in 2011. This has also called for an improvement in the country’s hospitality infrastructure
- The country is endowed with plenty of tourist attractions including national parks, mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, cultural and religious sites, traditional music and food, the equator, source of the Nile among others.
- The visitors are always impressed by the welcoming attitude of people of Uganda.
Hotels
The hotel accommodation has greatly improved over the last 10 years. The growth came about as a result of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which was held in Uganda in 2007. The conference attracted over 50 heads of state along with over 4000 delegates and support staff. The influx of the Heads of Government and delegates led to the implementation of the massive building programme of top-end accommodation (including hotels and apartments) constructions to meet the demand.
Encroachment on protected areas
It is important to note that Uganda’s Tourism very much depends on the country’s biodiversity which is increasingly being relegated to the protected areas. The protected areas are increasingly being encroached on by increasing population living next to the protected areas because of limited benefits they get from them. The government also lacks the funding for development of the necessary infrastructure in the protected areas.