World Tourism Month Dedicated to Promoting Uganda Tourism

World Tourism Day is celebrated each year on 27th of September globally. On this day focus is made on the socio-Economic importance and contribution of Tourism to the World. This year’s theme is ‘Poverty Alleviation, Job Creation and Social Harmony’.

Being charged with the promotion of tourism in the country, the Uganda Tourist Board has continued to spearhead events in the month of September notably a biking race in the luxuriant Mabira forest and a fundraising raft race on the Nile River organized in September of 2002 that was devoted to the reintroduction of rhinos in Uganda. Both were first ever events attracting the participation corporate bodies in he country.

This year’s main event on 27th September will be hosted free of charge to the public by Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe. The Centre represents Uganda’s diverse attractions teeming with rainforest, beaches, animal specie including two white Rhinos recently reintroduced in the country after being wiped out by poaching in the mid eighties, bird, plant insect and culture, not forgetting the Jane Goodal – Ngamba Island off Entebbe, which is sanctuary to, rescued chimpanzees.

Kids and Snake

A match past through Entebbe municipality and its environs shall precede the main event after which a World food festival luncheon is to be hosted by Imperial Botanical Beach hotel Entebbe. Also in store shall be guest artistes and traditional dancers in camaraderie with tourism stake holders including the Mayor of Entebbe, Uganda Wildlife Authority, hotels, resorts, Civil Aviation Authority, all management and operational organizations at the airport including Immigrations, Entebbe Cargo Handing Services, Bond and clearing agents, Air Traffic control, airport maintenance and cleaning staff, Oil companies, Beverage companies, Duty free, souvenir and restaurant outlets, Airlines and charters, legislators, technocrats, Uganda Tourist Association, Association of Uganda tour Operators, The Uganda Travel Agents Association, Hotel Owners Association, Hotel Catering Association, Uganda Association of Tourism Training Institutions Dons from the Ivory Tower, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Uganda Tourist Board, and students from the Wildlife clubs in Uganda. Other highlights on the day are a mini exhibition organized by Entebbe Tourism Development Association at U.W.E.C and the launch of the ‘New Tourism Policy’ document and a cultural catwalk led by miss Tourism Uganda 2002 crowned by a jungle themed disco at Vogue discotheque-half price.

Cards for the food festival at imperial Botanical beach Hotel are on Sale at Uganda Tourist Board at Ushs 13,000.

PROGRAMME:

9:00AM. -Arrival of participants at Mayors Gardens Entebbe
9:30AM.- Flagging off of match past by chief walker
10:30AM.- Inauguration of medicinal plants at U.W.EC
11:00 AM. – Inspection of domestic tourism exhibits.
11:30AM.- Guests take seats at the beach
12:00 PM.- Welcome speech by U.W.E.C Director

Entertainment Interlude

1:00PM. – Mayor welcomes guests to Entebbe municipality.
1:15PM. – Minister invites the guest of honor to launch the Tourism Policy.
1:25PM.- Guest of honors address
1:35PM.-Vote of thanks from U.T.A president
1:45 PM.- Food Festival at Botanical Beach
4:00PM.-Boat race, Entertainment, Cultural catwalk by miss Tourism 2002 at
U.W.E.C beach front

Insecurity in Murchison Falls National Park and Kasese Area

STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN UGANDA TOURIST BOARD

In the past few days incidents of insecurity have been reported in NW and SE Uganda particularly the ambushing and killing of several students from the Jimmy Sekasi Hotel and Tourism Training Institute and its Director. This occurred in the Pakuba area of Murchison Falls Game Park, which is in the Northern tip of the park near the Albert Nile estuary.

Another attack took place in Kasese and quite recently on Hamurunga fishing village near Kasese. While the Uganda Tourist Board condemns these acts of insecurity in the strongest terms and warns Tourists to stay away from these areas and the enviros, it would like to bring to the attention of the public the following facts:-

The site of the Pakuba incident is in the northern tip of the park on the north bank of the river Nile. It has been a center of concentrated tourist activity. It is only recently that the park wardens had started taking tourists to this area. Most of the tourist traffic has been has been concentrated on the south bank.

The Kasese region is in SW Uganda which has been a center of rebel activity. No tourist traffic has been encouraged to go there. We are yet to clarify the security situation in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is several kilometers away from Kasese. But some areas of the park do stray into territory that is prone to ADF attacks.

The security forces have been deployed in these areas to push out the attackers and when they have done their work, tourism activities will resume in the areas in question. Therefore there is no cause for Alarm.

However, the Board wishes to assure you and especially the tourists that other than these areas which are in actual fact on the periphery of the country the rest of Uganda is safe and has still many tourist attractions to offer:

For example,

The Central area – this includes Kampala where you will find the Kasubi Tombs, Entebbe and Jinja where you will find Bujagali Falls and Source of the Nile, passing through Mabira Forest with many picnic sites on the way.

For those who have more time, the mountains of South-West Uganda extending from Bulema / Kanunga in the north to Rwanda Border in the South are a must because they include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the Volcanic peaks of the Muhavura, Mgahinga and Sabinyo and lakes Bunyonyi and Mutanda

After the Rwenzoris it is scenically the most beautiful part of Uganda displaying an enormous variety of landscape feature in its wooded and cultivated Hills and mountains, gorges, valleys and their intervening lakes and rivers.

• Lake Mburo National Park IN SE Uganda
• Mount Elgon in the East, its Forest Reserves and foothills. In here you find the renowned Sipi Falls. It is readily accessible from Kampala on a good paved road.
• Kidepo Valley National Park, the Zulia Forest reserve and the Lipan and North Karamoja controlled hunting areas. Here you can go on game viewing trips currently the best in Uganda. But it is also important for bird – watching and trekking in the Zulia Forest.
• Ssese Islands – in Lake Victoria; This is a beautiful grouping of islands which is a paradise for the elusive sitatunga antelope. These islands are ideal for bird-watching, fishing, eco-tours and touring by boat.

For more information and updates below is our contact.

Uganda Tourist Board
Plot 13/15 Kimathi Avenue, Impala House
P.O. Box 7211 Kampala
Uganda

Tel: 256 – 41 – 342196 / 7
Fax: 256 – 41 – 342188

Email: utb@starcom.co.ug