Tourists to enter parks with smart access cards
UWA board chairman Ben Otto (R) and Tourism minister Maria Mutagamba display the new Wildlife Park access system. Photo by Martin Ssebuyira.
What you need to know:
The system will help reduce leakage at fee collection and handling points.
To ensure efficiency in park revenue collections, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has started a cashless system that will enable tourists enter national parks using access cards.
The monitored system, will enable visitors to Uganda’s parks to make payments centrally.
The system will first be piloted in Bwindi Impenetrable, Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Kibale national parks, reducing challenges faced in collecting revenue, improve security of rangers and tourist by reducing the need to carry huge sums of money.
“Card Park Access system will help reduce leakages at fee collection and handling points,” Dr Andrew Seguya, the UWA executive director, said after launching the Wildlife Card Park Access Systems at the weekend.
The system has been successful in other East African countries.
According to the Uganda Tourism Board executive director, Mr Cuthbert Baguma, Uganda received 1.2 million tourist arrivals last year.
The US Ambassador to Uganda, Mr Scotti Delisi, said the US government has supported UWA to develop the tourism industry.
The ambassador said in 2012 and 2013, UWA rangers were robbed and killed in Queen Elizabeth National Park and the adjacent Ishasha Reserve. Other robberies were reported in Murchison Falls National Park.
He said the card would also help to eliminate theft.
