Uganda Tours, Uganda Safaris, Gorilla Safari News , Uganda Travel & safari

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Africa Travel Association (ATA) were recipients of this year’s prestigious World Tourism Award on the ‘World Stage’ Opening Day of World Travel Market.

The award was presented in recognition of the vision of both organizations in agreeing to develop a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at forging an Asia - Africa bridge of Tourism, Friendship and Collaboration.

Both PATA and ATA recognize the great potential that exists for raising the level of travel, tourism, and trade between their respective regions. With the continued

H.E. Kapinga Pande, MP, Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, Zambia and President, Africa Travel Association receiving the World Tourism Award from World Tourism Award sponsors Mr. Will Nicholson, Managing Director Global Sales, International Herald Tribune & New York Times; Mr. Geoff Andrew, Group Director, Sales & Marketing, Corinthia Hotels International; Ms. Donna Flora, CTC, Vice President, Travel Industry Relations, American Express Company; and Mr. Tom Nutley, Chairman, Reed Travel Exhibitions.
development of China and India, Asia will be a growing source of tourists for Africa, and the Asia Pacific region is well aware of the attention being given Africa by G8 countries as part of efforts for wealth creation and sustained economic development.

Mr. Peter DeJong, President and CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association receiving the World Tourism Award from World Tourism Award Sponsors Mr. Will Nicholson, Managing Director Global Sales, International Herald Tribune & New York Times; Mr. Geoff Andrew, Group Director, Sales & Marketing, Corinthia Hotels International; Ms. Donna Flora, CTC, Vice President, Travel Industry Relations, American Express Company; and Mr. Tom Nutley, Chairman, Reed Travel Exhibitions.

The Asia – Africa Summit hosted by Indonesia and South Africa in Jakarta (April 2005) provided the broad policy framework for the MOU which envisions opportunities to enhance collaboration in market research and awareness; more fam trips between the two regions; promotional efforts to showcase products and services; and inviting more buyers from the two regions to each others trade shows.

IIPT was proud to facilitate the MOU between PATA and ATA and to have Presidents of both organizations together at the 3rd Global Summit on Peace through Tourism in Pattaya for discussions on the MOU.

Uganda tourism news

Tourism, one of the most successful and fastest growing sectors in Uganda has continued to grow and is expected to earn the country over $500m (about sh905b) this year from $360m (sh651.6b) last year, tourism state minister Jovino Akaki said.

The increase to stability, good governance and the confidence the international community has in Uganda, has led to the increase in tourist numbers from 512,000 last year to about 700,000 this year, therefore expectations of the increase in earnings to $500m since it is a festival season.

Ugandan hotels have been modernized, for example lounges at Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls national parks have been revamped, and security agencies have implemented measures that guarantee safety of tourists and other resources in the parks and wildlife reserves.

He said people should take advantage of the 50% and 25% discount on entry fees into the national parks for the locals and East Africa residents respectively, and that “Ugandans should take advantage of this offer to take time off their busy schedules,” Akaki said.

Uganda tourism news

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is to give out Shs330 million to four districts neighbouring Murchison Falls National Park.

This was announced by Senior Warden of Murchison Falls National Park Conservation area, Mr. Stonewall Kato, at the signing of an agreement between UWA and the local community of Karuma wildlife conservation area.

The signing took place at Nanda Primary School in Masindi district on December 3. He said that they have over 330 million shillings to share with the community.

He said the money would supplement the revenue of 15 sub- counties in the districts of Masindi, Apac, Nebbi, and Gulu. Kato urged the beneficiaries to identify viable projects in which they would invest the money. He said the money was available on UWA accounts and it was up to the beneficiaries to present viable project proposals to the sub- county authorities for approval.

The two-year agreement allows placing of beehives, fetching of firewood, cutting grass for thatching, getting craft materials, grasshoppers and white ants in the reserve, but prohibits grazing, poaching and charcoal burning.
This will create a bridge between the community and the game park.
He said the agreement facilitates shared resource management between the community and the UWA staff to allow accountable utilization of the natural resources.
At the same meeting 17 poachers surrendered their weapons to Uganda Wildlife Authority. The weapons included spears, bows and arrows. It was the second time poachers were handing over their weapons to UWA in Masindi district. Last month 50 poachers handed over weapons to UWA.

Uganda wildlife news

STAKEHOLDERS in the tourism industry have been enlivened to develop eco-tourism because the demand for it has gone up all over the world.
Yakobo Moyini, a consultant for bio-trade programme under the Uganda Exports Promotion Board (UEPB) said recently that eco-tourism was important because it contributes to the conservation of bio-diversity.
Demand for eco-tourism is on the rise because of the growing aging population in the developed world where most of our tourists come from.
Moyini said while presenting his assessment on eco-tourism for the bio-trade programme that there is need for enriching vacations, the outdoors and nature.
Eco-tourism was moving away from a niche market and was draw towards today’s desk bound society because of the need for physical activity.

Moyini said projections for the tourism industry show that by 2010, the gross output from tourism would be at $7.2 trillion and $305m for job creation. But this would only be achieved if we develop eco-tourism. Eco-tourism is ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary locus on experiencing natural areas that advances environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.

Eco-tourism is not a segment in its purest sense, it does not exist, the only challenge is to develop and market .

Moyini said there was need to improve visitor statistics, diversify the range of accommodation inside and outside tourist attractions and promote environmentally sound concepts to capture eco-tourists. He said tourists should not be disappointed with poor products and services.

Uganda tourism news

Over 100 holidaymakers from different schools in the Uganda are camped at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Uwec) in Entebbe the commonly known Zoo clearing the bushes as well as planting pasture for the animals .
Uwec Executive Director Andrew Sseguya said the zoo has gained from the services of the volunteers.

He said that Uwec is a non-profit making organisation nationally legal to create awareness of conserving Uganda’s biodiversity amongst the public particularly the young generation .
Uwec like many other organisations of nature values the natives’contribution.
To find youth in this selfish world doing all this type of volunteer work is so revolutionary brilliant . This showed a challenge to their elders Mr John Nagenda, the Senior Presidential Adviser on the Media and also Raleigh Uganda Patron, and Transport minister urged the youth to keep up the spirit of voluntarism.
He said that they will endavour every thing possible to give a hand in the support of the Raleigh Uganda organisation.
Mr Sseguya was on Monday addressing the students under their umbrella organisation, Raleigh Uganda.
The group is Non Government Organisation that encourages the youth to discover their full potential through working on exacting and ambitious community and environmental projects and expeditions.

Sseguya thanked the volunteers for their efforts that have led to the continued survival of wildlife, which is costly to maintain. Today, Uwec boast of a well-landscaped administration block, where Raleigh International helped fill gravel in the compound to give a characteristic natural look. He said Raleigh Uganda has cleared a big bushy area where grass will be planted.

Sseguya said on another occasion, Raleigh Uganda weeded the Kidepo exhibit, a 3.5 hectare piece of land, of all unwanted, poisonous weeds in preparation for new animals.

Nagenda urged the Uwec management to cooperate with the youth and told the UWEC officials not to charge the youth for their staying there because Charging volunteers is simply bankrupt thinking

Mr Ronald Tana, the Raleigh Uganda team leader, promised to continue working with the youth from all backgrounds to discover and reach their full potential through undertaking and involving them in environmental, community and adventure projects.He added that six members would soon go to Namibia for training

uganda Safari news

The Cabinet of Uganda refused to give Mehta 30% of the Mabira forest reserve for sugarcane growing.
According to reports, Lugazi’s Mehta wants 7,000 hectares of Mabira forest reserve, to expand its production of sugarcane.

Mabira is one of the largest forested areas found in the catchment areas of Lakes Kyoga and Victoria. It is also one of the country’s richest forest reserves in biological diversity with a lot of tourism potential mainly eco-tourism.

The Cabinet opposed the proposition of turning part of the forest into a sugarcane plantation, saying Lugazi should rely on out-growers for sugarcane.

They said that alternating the land use of the protected area would threaten institutions that have a mandate to oversee the sustainable use of forests. The advocates Coalition for Development and environment (ACODE), said they would work with the government to secure the virtue of protected areas.

Government evicted encroachers from the reserve a decade ago inorder to protect the forest reserve and to enhance tourism development in Uganda using the natural resources.

Uganda tourism news

The government deal with CNN aimed at polishing Uganda’s image abroad has been explained.

The deal which involves marketing Uganda in a CNN programme “Inside Africa” for six (6) months, is designed to portray Uganda as a country “Gifted by nature”.

Terp proprietor, Odrek Rwabwogo married to the President’s daughter Patience Museveni, denied any influence on the acquisition rules, issued by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA).

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Dr. Peter Nahamya, was said to have asked the PPDA to relinquish the rule that would restrain the ministry to open bidding, and that the decision to procure Terp group was political.

Uganda tourism news

The Wetlands Inspection Division and Uganda Prisons Services have begun cultivating bamboo at Murchison Bay prison at Luzira to help clean up the heavily polluted Nakivubo swamp near the prison.

The idea to cultivate bamboo was recently mooted by the World Agro forestry Centre (ICRAF).
Nakivubo swamp is one of the wetlands that were picked to showcase the successful story of wetland conservation in the country under at the Ramsar meeting.

Though bamboo grows very fast, the experiment is still in its early stages. The researchers are also looking at the aspects of water uptake by bamboo since it grows very fast, however, Tumuryomurugyendo, ICRAF’s biological diversity expert says it is not much different from papyrus and reeds.

The bamboo will also help the poor urban communities earn an income. The bamboo will be used as raw material for making various handicrafts.

The “mother garden’’ is expected to act as a centre of multiplication of the large species of bamboo before it can be expanded into the swamp.

Bamboo is a good filter because it removes wastes from water and in China it is applied to clean the polluted water and it also serves as a raw material for the immensely valuable handicrafts, herbal soap and charcoal.

He says bamboo is a lucrative handicraft industry, which includes garden chairs and various souvenirs, but not much is known about it in Uganda.
It is also used to manufacture floor tiles and also forms part of the huge processed food industry.

China earns over $600m annually from the export of bamboo which hence shows that bamboo has a value to its GDP and this doubles the three East African countries’ GDP.

All this plan was due to the dangers that lake Victoria is exposed to due to massive encroachment on Swamps. Despite the contribution of Lake Victoria ecosystem towards the well being and livelihoods of more than 30 million people of the three east African countries, the lake is currently described as the “dying lake.” This is because of pollution described by the ICRAF report as eutrophication and sedimentation.

These are consequences of increased nutrient inputs originating from agricultural activities, industrial effluents and domestic wastewater discharged in the degraded wetlands, according to the ICRAF report.
Natural filtration by the reeds and papyrus has been hampered by destruction of the wetlands through drainage for agriculture, industries and residential premises. This is why Kampala City Council and the National Environment Management Authority have been threatening to evict the encroachers from the swamp for the last three years.

The ICRAF report says bamboo could be a superior land use system to the vegetables that are reportedly health hazards due to accumulation of heavy metals. Bamboo is a promising alternative because it absorbs nutrients that cause pollution. Bamboo growing at Murchison Prison started two months ago when over 200 plants of bamboo were imported from Kenya. Never the less. Some artistans have already started making good use of the plantation

However, the encroachers from Namuwongo, Kifumbira in Kamwokya, Bweyogerere who grow yams in Nakivubo have refused to barge.

Representatives at the Ramsar convention were so astounded by crafts of Jackson Sinini, an artiste, they even placed many orders and almost all his items were extracted from bamboo.

Uganda Environment News

THE Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has called on the private sector to declare interest in co-managing wildlife enterprises in the Kafu River Basin.

UWA’s spokesperson Lillian Nsubuga called on people to submit proposals on how to utilise wildlife and the local authorities.

Interested parties should have proposals of how they can manage the wildlife already there, since landowners sometimes do not know what to do with wildlife.

The system will enable protection of wild life through a consorted effort to enhance tourism growth and development in Uganda.

Uganda tourism news

River Ssezibwa in Kayunga is to be modernized inorder to boost tourism at Sezibwa site and in the district.

The project will be done by investors from Germany, Japan and Spain, and will kick off by October 2006 by removing the papyrus grass from the water.

The project that will cost over sh4b, is aimed at modernising the Sezibwa River one a cultural tourist attraction in Kayunga and to upgrade the river inorder to increase the number of tourists to the region.

Uganda tourism news