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

The Uganda Wildlife authority has called upon the private sector along with those individuals interested to invest in Wild life ranches.

According to Lilian Nsubuga Uganda Wildlife Authority’s publicis, the move will raise animal population bridge a gap between wildlife and the surrounding communities.

In a speach she said that majority of Ugandan regard Wildlife to be useless in society a point that may cause them to even kill them. She therefore urged that there is need to sensitize the locals about the use of Wildlife and also teach them on how they can earn revenue from it.

She added that Uganda wildlife authority is providing those people who have taken up the idea with the necessary help . She gave Sango bay in Rakai as an example of a wildlife reserve that has already been initiated by the local government and Buganda government initiatives.

This area is famous for many primates, sitatungas, bushbuck, waterbucks, buffaloes, and many other game species.

BY Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News

British Airways is to launch new on-line seat booking as away of simplifying the process and control of the seating options available on their flights starting December 5.

Mr Tiffany Hall, The Head of Marketing and Distribution said, high demand and popularity of the improved technology, BA has chosen to improve the global seating modus operandi to and this will be simple and modified for each client to book the most comfortable seat they want.

To help air travelers in making their choices in choosing a seat, the airline has improved its aircraft seat maps on ‘ba.com’, which display up to the minute seat availability that each flight has.

With improved communication, marketing and technology, BA is in the guise of promoting Uganda’s transport industry which in the short run will lead to tourism development.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News

The tourist boards of the East African Community partner states will for the first time jointly participate in the International Tourism Fair in Berlin, Germany next year.

The managing directors of the sister boards and EAC officials recently met in London to discuss the plan.

The meeting reviewed the progress in the implementation of the decision to promote and market the regional as a single tourist destination at travel and tourist markets in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas, the EAC Secretariat said in a statement.

The statement said there was need to involve the private and public sectors in the harmonisation of polices.

and strategies in the three countries aimed at promoting East Africa was greatly emphasized at the meeting,” read the statement from the East African Community Secretariat.

The progress of the integration of the East African tourist sector was also emphasized with the establishment of a tourism desk at the EAC secretariat in Arusha

The meeting was attended by James Bahinguza, UTB managing director, Peter Mwenguo, TTB, Dr Ongong’a Achieng, managing director KTB. The meeting was chaired by Dr Calebo Weggoro, the EAC sectoral Economist and Magaga A lot the public relations officer of the EAC.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News

Uganda’s overhauled national carrier, Victoria International Airlines (VIA), has been accepted by Kenyan and South African air transport supervisory body to fly to Nairobi and Johannesburg.

Victoria’s will see an additional 13 flights a week between Entebbe and Nairobi.

Together with Kenya Airways’ 27 flights, voyagers will now have a choice of six departures out of Entebbe five days a week, although this will mainly apply to passengers ending their voyage in Nairobi.

The approval of this Ugandan carrier’s application comes alongside the unalterable denial of landing rights to Ethiopian Airlines, which in June applied to maneuver a single daily flight to Nairobi out of Entebbe.

In a speech, VIA‘s commercial manager Declan Peppard applauded that it was easy for them to get approvals because they were a national carrier that did not defy the status quo by demanding that Kenya Airways pullout any of its services.

The Ugandan government owns 25% equity in VIA , with the rest of the stock being held by South African and Swiss investors.

As far as its schedule that was released last week is concerned, the carrier will also be flying four times a week to Juba in Southern Sudan and thrice a week to Johannesburg.

Apart from Monday, when neither South African Airways nor Victoria flies out of Entebbe, there will be the opportunity of a direct flight to Johannesburg 6 days a week.

The flights to Juba have been positioned to tap into traffic from Nairobi to Southern Sudan as they are a continuation of the morning return leg from Nairobi.

Further more Mr Peppard said that same-day return journeys will be possible for business people with the return flight departing Juba at 5.10 pm.

Victoria is competing directly on pricing with an economy class return ticket to Nairobi that costs $138 return, Juba $278and Johannesburg $338, fares Mr Peppard said are not just promotional but will remain in place.

Since the liquidation of Uganda Airlines in 2001, Uganda has not had a national airline. Several local or partly locally-owned airlines such as Alliance Air, Africa-One and East African Airlines have tried but failed to fill the domestic carrier vacuum over the past couple of years. This validation of VIA was necessary and once it stabilities, it will lead to development of the tourism industry.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News

Whilst at the graduation ceremony of 176 students at institute of catering at the crested crane Hotel in Jinja, the minister of education Namirembe Bitamazire applauded the Hotel Tourism Training Institute (HTTI) for leading the development of a national hospitality and tourism training curriculum.

Bitamazire said that the opening out in the tertiary and university sub-sector is a government guiding principle to encourage fabrication and supply of skilled Labour for increased economic growth.

Bitamazire said HTTI played a key role in producing the highly-demanded workforce for the growing Uganda’s tourism industry.

She added that well trained personnel leads to professionalism which is a prerequisite for international hospitality and tourism standards.

Hands-on guidance provided by this institution cannot be over highlighted at this time when Uganda is scheduling for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

The Institute is defied to come up with a lithe, wrapped-up programme to meet the training demands for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Safari News

In a convention at Hotel International Muyenga, hoteliers coincided to officially join the Hoteliers’ workers’ union which will later on be a requirement to allow them host the forth coming Common wealth heads of government meeting delegates.

The meeting was called between the Tourism and Allied Workers Union, Uganda Hotel, Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), Food, Central Organization of Free Trade Unions (COFTU) and the ministry of Labour.

Recognized attendants of the meeting were Hotel Africana’s Bulaimu Kibirige, Imperial hotel chain proprietor, Karim Hirji and John Okware of Rydar Hotel’s.

UHOA brings together 107 hotel owners countrywide.

Earlier on, the Gender minister Syda Bbumba was heard lamenting those hotel owners who do not endorse employees to join the workers’ union, would not host CHOGM delegates and insisted that it is an international prerequisite.

Sam Lyomoki the Workers’ MP said he was thrilled with that hoteliers’ move .He promised to meet them in November 15 to polish the other major concerns.

BY Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Safari News

A 120 room hotel is to be built on a 3.5 acre piece of land which is adjacent to the Lugogo sports complex.

This hotel will be set up by Megha industries and the construction will commence as soon as the discussion and consultations with a major international hotel chain are accomplished

Shiraz Meghani, the managing director, said Megha industries said that he was sure of sealing the deal and as soon as they do, then construction will begin.

He added that unlike other hotels that are being set up, his hotel will not aim at CHOGM.

Shiraz declined to name his partner but said that he is aiming at setting up 120 rooms.

As hotels are being built, the tour and travel industry also develops because with no doubt hotels contribute to the growth of

Uganda’s travel industry.

By Tanah Hadijah

TRAVEL TO UGANDA

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 12th conference of HSSA (Hotel schools in subsaharan Africa) jinja the higher education state minister Dr.Gabriel Opio said, that the government is invading all necessary efforts to revitalise the tourism industry.

Opio also said that the Ugandan government regards this vocational training in the hospitality sector as an important factor for it creates professionalism.

He acknowledged that the education ministry had constructed a classroom, an administration block and procured a bus and a generator for the institute a factor that shows how the hospitality vocational institute is recognised for the
Uganda tourism industry.

Such hospitality vocational institutes are important because they lead to proffessionalism. This is important for uganda tourism.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda tours

Because of innefficience, the trade, tourism and industry ministry will not renew former German ambassador Klaus Holderbaum’s contract as a consultant.

Sam Nahamya,the ministry’s parmanet secretarys told MPs on the public accounts committee in response to queries raised by the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2004/05.

In a letter dated August 29 to Holderbaum, Nahamya said, that at the meeting chaired by the Honourable Minister of Uganda Tourism, Trade and Industry, the ministers andhimself went through the report on activities from September 1, 2003 to date.

He also told him that the purpose of this letter is to communicate to him that this had been declared and he also thanked him for the work he had done.

The ministry has been paying Holderbaum a net monthly salary of $8,000 (sh14.5m) at the beginning of each quarter. Om to of that he was offered four trips to Europe each year.

Checking perfortmance in the ministry will creat efficincy in the tourism industry of Uganda and hence development.

By Tanah Hadijah

UGANDA SAFARI

A group of officials from the World Bank (WB) on Sunday surveyed the site of the Bujagali hydro-electric power dam along the Nile river in Jinja.

The team was cheered by Managing Director Dr. Juan Daobab, was conducted by energy minister Daudi Migereko,the permanent secretary, Kabagambe Kaliisa and his deputy Simon D’Ujanga.

They team toured Budondo a sub-county in Jinja district on the eastern bank the river,and Wakisi a sub-county in Mukono district on the western bank and where some communities were affected by the project.

Kaliisa said 84 in Wakisi affected families and 20 in Budondo were compensated and resettled.

Migereko also added that Salin (Italy), Alstrom (Europe) and Lavin & PJ Prakash (India) had submitted their bids for the works.

By TANAH HADIJAH

Uganda Safari News