Ugandans Should Learn to Promote Their Country It is great that Uganda’s tourism industry is growing in leaps and bounds but experts say that this is still not enough, considering that Uganda aptly described by Sir Winston Churchill as “the pearl of Africa” has a lot to offer the world. James Dummer first visited Uganda in 1997 and 1998 to try and create a cultural opera festival for three weeks at Entebbe’s Imperial Botanical Hotel, only to discover that is was still too soon to carry out such an undertaking. Dummer decided to revisit Uganda in 2006 in the month of July 2006 so to try and promote the countries rich heritage to the rest of the world. Uganda being a niche’ market that attracts great numbers of middle and up-market visitors is certainly not doing enough to promote its tourism industry compared to the likes of Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania. James Dummer says he has attended countless travel fairs that are organized in different parts of the world for the last couple of years and taken a keen interest for the past decade in the trade fair stands that are allocated to Uganda’s Tourist Board. In his evaluation of the Uganda’s stand in ITB Berlin and that London’s World Travel Market (WTM), Uganda’s tour operators pay hefty fees in order to secure a small desk to participate in a stand that is already congested. Despite of all this, he says (UTB), that is Ugandan Tourist Board, the body charged with marketing the countries image abroad has not really been aggressive in exhibiting what Uganda as a country has to offer to the world. The major Uganda tour attraction that is promoted by the tourist board are the primates mainly mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, which has in turn accounted for over 50% of the annual earnings from tourism for the country. It is sad though that the mountain gorillas which are faced with extinction are not being aggressively from protected. Every so often, we hear of mountain gorillas being butchered in one of the gorilla families. It must be said though that the number of mountain gorillas has increased quite a bit in the last few years due to the conservation efforts of the Uganda wildlife Authority and international organizations. The new gorilla families are being opened up for gorilla tracking further boosting Uganda safari attractions. Dummer argues that spending on something that is as obvious as primate tourism which is guaranteed to fetch money and is already over subscribed is not a wise venture bearing in mind that (UGSTDP); Uganda Sustainable Tourism Development Programme is no longer funded by the European Union. He says it would be wise for the Tourist Board to promote other aspects of the country’s tourism, namely, the peace and security that the country has attained and the diversified and rich culture of the over 46 different tribes that inhabit this relative small but beautiful country. The termination of the funding by the European Union is a huge blow as regards the promotion of tourism in Uganda. Uganda’s beauty ranges from the rich wildlife from the semi arid regions of north east where we find the Kidepo valley national park which consists of beautiful flora and fauna with bird species that are found no where else to the dense tropical rain forests of south western Uganda, where we find the Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga mountains whose major attractions are the mountain gorillas. Gorilla tracking has been is major attraction and the permits are becoming quite hard to acquire given that only 10 people are allowed to track a gorilla family per day. This is one of the main request for anyone visiting or wanting to do a Uganda safari. At the world travel fair in Berlin on 5th march, in which Rwanda took the award for the second consecutive year, the private sector foundation had to fund the stand that Uganda used to exhibit her major attractions. Rwanda was able to demonstrate that despite being a landlocked country which affects the price of doing a tour or safari, it was able to attraction high end spenders. Without a proper budget the staff at Uganda’s Tourist Board are kind of handicapped and can do only so much, as a result, Uganda’s membership at the World Tourism Organization was also terminated due to failure to pay the subscription fee of a couple of dollars. It is high time the government realized the amount of money that tourism is bringing into the country and aggressively campaigned for it. About 25% of the country’s export revenue is from tourism and the brief CNN “Gift by Nature” advert was great but a lot needs to be put into this specialist market in terms of specialist people with great marketing abilities. Tourism, has the potential to take this country to great heights considering that it is one industry where the local people unlike in the GAVI funds can reap directly, not to mention its ability to project a positive image of the country internationally. One of the people who have visited the country are coming back regularly and some have considered doing business in country or even settling in the country as a second home.

Mountain gorilla tracking is one of the most awe inspiring wildlife experience as you climb up and down the steep slopes of the vine clad Bwindi impenetrable forest in Uganda or the Virunga mountains of Rwanda’s Parc Des Volcans. This activity can take any where from 3 hours to 8 hours depending on how far the mountain gorillas have strayed in their foraging for food.

However, it is important to note that there are only over 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild and these can only be found in the border regions of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo and as such are protected by the governments of all three countries. Although the Congo (DRC) government finds it hard due to the unrest in the region where these giant gentle apes are found. There has been numerous killings of these apes needlessly by the rebel groups who have been taking refuge in the Congo forests thus hampering the conservation efforts of all three governments as these gorillas tend to cross borders, although this happens mainly between Uganda’s Mgahinga gorilla national park and Rwanda’s parc Des Volcans. The gorilla families in Uganda’s Bwindi include;

• The ‘M’ group; Mubare group consists of 10 gorillas with 1 silverback and was opened in 1993 for tourism.
• The ‘H’ group; Habinyanja group opened in 1998 for gorilla tours and trekking is composed of 21 individuals with 2 silverbacks
• The ‘R’ group; Rushegura group was opened to trackers in 2002 and is composed of 1 silverback and 10 gorillas.
• The ‘N’ group; The Nkuringo group consisting of 1 silverback and 19 gorillas was made accessible to trekkers in 2004.

Mgahinga national park tucked away in south western Uganda’s border with Rwanda has fewer gorillas than Bwinidi, which cross the border occassionally into Rwanda. This park has a solitary group of habituated gorillas namely Nyakagyezi which is open for tracking. Nyakagyezi has about 11 family members; 3 adult females, 2 silverbacks, 2 infants and 4 juveniles.
The high number of tourists coming into Uganda and Rwanda respectively has led bodies like Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), charged with protecting, Uganda’s wildlife to draft policies and regulations for those doing mountain gorilla tracking. These are;

• Any one with a communicable disease, like as diarrhoea or flu, is not allowed to visit the gorillas.
• Surrounding the gorillas is not allowed, people are to remain in tight groups.
• Once found contact time is limited to only one hour
• Please observe all instructions from your guide.
• A distance of about 5 meters is to be left between the tracker and the gorillas
• A tracker is advised to move back slowly when approched by the gorillas
• No flashes from cameras are allowed.
• Eating and smoking within 200m of the gorillas is forbidden.


• One is required to cover his / her mouth when sneezing or coughing or turn away from the gorillas.
• Human excrement is to be buried at least 30 cm deep in the ground.
• No disposal of litter within the park.
• Spitting in the park is forbidden.
• Minors (those under 15 years) are not allowed to track gorillas.
• Lound noise and sudden movements when with the gorillas is discouraged.

There are a number of companies offer gorilla safaris and a quick check with any of your favorite search engine will yield a number of very good tour operators within the region. There is Uganda gorilla safari

About Uganda

Uganda-Gifted by nature; was aptly described by Sir Winston Churchill as the “pearl of Africa”. With a plethora of beauty, ranging from the people with their diversely rich cultures to the majestic mountain sceneries and gentle rolling hills covered with green lush rainforests and vegetation in the south, central and western regions, and flat savannah plains in the north and north eastern regions. The country is teeming with wildlife due to the great conservation efforts of the government and Non Governmental Organizations. Uganda has become a hot tourist destination offering mountain gorilla safari, bird watching, mountaineering , chimpanzee trekking, primate watching, rafting, kayaking, sport fishing, cultural tourism, bungee jumping, game drives to mention but a few. I would like to offer you a few travel tips when you get to the country.

How To Get To Uganda

By Air:

Lying 40km from Kampala, Uganda’s capital city is Entebbe International Airport, which has a number of world class airlines likes BA (British Airways), South African Airways, SN Brussels, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates, Egypt Air, Kenya Airways, Air Tanzania, offering flights to and fro.

By Road:

Uganda is also accessible overland from the neighboring countries of Kenya, Tanzania, And Rwanda which are also hot tourist destinations

On Arrival

Uganda’s Customs and immigration officials are very welcoming, polite and efficient. For those who require a visa, you can process right at Entebbe International Airport or at any border crossing. Forex bureaus for currency exchange and ATM facilities are provided at the airport. There are also a number of shops and restaurants for those who would like something urgently at the airport. When requested many of the hotels be it midrange will arrange for airport pickups, as well as the tour operator organizing your safari or tour.

Health

Uganda is generally a safe country. One is required to have a certificate of yellow fever vaccination. All visitors to Uganda should take anti-malaria drugs as a precaution against this prevalent disease. It is also advisable to drink bottled which are readily available in any of the many supermarkets, restaurants and shops rather than tap water. The AIDS scourge which afflicted the nation has dramatically dropped due to a strong AIDS sensitization campaign by the government and NGOs but one is advised to take precaution.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Uganda shilling. Most tour operators prefer that tourist pay in US dollars, but Euros and Pound Sterling are also widely accepted. Hard currency cash can be changed for the local currency at any of the banks and forex bureaus in all the towns within Uganda, although one will find difficulty using travellers’ cheques outside of Kampala. You can draw the Ugandan Shilling against Visa and other major credit cards at selected bank ATMs in Kampala, Entebbe International Airport, as well as in other larger towns outside of the Capital.

Language

English is the official language in Uganda and most Ugandans are generally fluent when it comes to speaking English. Although the country has over 36 different tribes who speak different dialects, Luganda serves as something of a lingua franca. We also have a number of people who speak French due to the strong influence from Congo and Rwanda, not to mention the influence of Alliance Francias, a French language teaching school in the city.

When to Visit

Uganda has a beautiful climate all year round and can be visited at any time. The temperatures range from 21 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius in the day and 16-20 degrees Celsius in the night. The hottest months are from December-January and the wettest and coolest months are March-May and the mid-September to November. Activities like mountain hikes, gorilla tracking and other forest walks are more challenging during the rains, which generally peak over mid-September to November and March to May.

What to wear

During the day, temperatures are generally warm depending on which region of the country one is at, so bring lots of light clothing. Evening temperatures are cooler at especially high altitudes, so it is advisable to bring a couple of light sweaters as well. For the tourist intending to hike or climb on the mountains, you are advised to pack accordingly due to the alpine temperatures. You would do well to carry solid walking shoes and strong clothing, a sun hat, sunglasses, waterproof jackets which are ideal for forest walks, game drives and national pack tours.

What to Bring

Visitors to country are required to have valid passports, and visa requirements should be checked with the customs and immigrations at the Airport on arrival before you travel. Binoculars and tour guides will enable you reap the most of game reserves and national parks tours and game drives. Zoom lens for Photographers who intend to capture the beautiful wildlife and scenery (70-300 or similar). Printing film and developing is facilities are available in Kampala. Toiletries and other essential commodities can be purchased at any of the numerous supermarkets and shopping centers in the cities.

Driving

Visitors who intend to do self-drives are advised that driving in Uganda is done on the left side. The are numerous car hire service providers within the city with attractive rates although the fuel prices are fairly high, considering that Uganda is a landlocked country. For visitors that have no experience of African roads, you are advised to arrange for a vehicle with a driver rather than opting for a self-drive.

Tipping

Tipping is not culture that is practiced often at local hotels, bars and restaurants, but it is always appreciated. The amount depends on the tourists discretion, although tour guides and drivers should always be tipped.

Additional Information

For additional information on you can read: The Bradt Travel, Lonely Planet, Footprint Guides and Spectrum Guides. There are other guides on the internet that can provide additional information.

This article can be found on my website Uganda travel tips

Travel services have become an integral part of the fast growing tourism industry in the United States. Travel agents can provide specialized services which are in demand like never before and play a vital role in helping travelers manage their travel needs. There are number of reasons why travelers require travel services. Some of these include better hotel deals, package deals, hassle free vacations, itinerary planning, and advice. While domestic travel can be managed without the professional guidance of a good travel agent, you will need his services for a foreign trip. Listed below are some of the important reasons why you must use the services of an agent for making your travel plans:

For local trips:

Many travelers use the services of an agent to plan their local trip to avail of the bulk airfare and cheap local tour packages they offer. For most travelers, it is the convenience that is most important when planning a trip. If you are managing everything independently, you will have to spend a great deal of time and energy booking your air tickets online, booking car rentals, making hotel reservations, and so on. However when you work with a travel agent, he takes care of all your travel needs and ensures that he works out the best deal that fits your pocket. Generally, hotels tie up with prominent travel agencies to ensure clientele all throughout the year. They may offer discounts and package deals, which you can avail of only if you plan your trip using these travel agencies.

For foreign trips:

Apart from the convenience of booking your holiday with the help of a ravel agent, you can be assured of a hassle-free holiday even in high season. Small travel issues such as hotel booking cannot be managed easily if you are traveling to a foreign land. Unless you know someone who has been to that country before, you will have to rely only on the Internet for information about that country. Often, images on the Internet are misleading and you may end up with a bad deal. If you are planning a trip during the high season, you may not get reservations or convenient flight bookings. Your travel agent will guarantee you a stress free holiday in some of the most exotic destinations in the world.

Negotiating – Travel agents are in a better position to bargain for good deals, as they have access to all available flights, car rentals, package tours, and hotel bookings.

Visa – Your travel agent knows the visa requirements of the country you are traveling to. In addition, you can look forward to a smooth application process when working with a travel agent. Travel agents can also help you to obtain or renew a passport making your travel easier.

Professional guidance – Your agent can help you to chalk out a convenient itinerary on the basis of places of interest and also inform you about the etiquette, culture, and customs prevailing in that country. You can also seek assistance of your travel agent for currency exchange.