Tourism can be a key growth sector

Most of these announcements may seem obvious but they are significant because they reveal things about our country that other countries, or even ourselves, do not know.

Uganda’s tourism potential continues to grow despite challenges. In the last few years, there has been renewed interest in this sector, partly due the rise in the number of local tour operators who have given the industry more visibility.

The Tourism Ministry has also started aggressive marketing and promotions to showcase the country’s tourism prospects on the world stage by using platforms such as the social media.

It therefore comes as great news that Uganda’s fortunes continue rising as far as tourism is concerned. A few weeks ago, a leading travel publication, the National Geographic -- the flagship publication of National Geographic Society-- listed Uganda on their “top 20 must-see places of 2013”.

The publication mentions our rich savanna, enormous lakes, rain forests, and the glacier-clad Rwenzori Mountains as key attractions that make Uganda a superior safari destination.
That this development comes just about a year after another top travel website, Lonely Planet, lined up Uganda as the top most country to visit in 2012, should give us more reason to jealously guard and preserve our natural environment.

It is no doubt that few Ugandans are interested in local tourism. Many prefer to go for a holiday abroad, mostly because they have not taken interest in discovering how richly blessed this country truly is in terms of nature.

For instance, two weeks ago, Birdlife International, a global programme on conservation and protection of birds, named Uganda a preferred bird watching destination for 2013. Most of these announcements may seem obvious but they are significant because they reveal things about our country that other countries, or even ourselves, do not know. A country that boasts 34 impressive bird watching sites with diverse bird species is certainly every bird watcher’s dream destination.

These listings are important and Ugandans must not take them for granted. Being one of the top tourist destinations places responsibility on the government to increase funding to the tourism sector and capitalise on the promotions and marketing plans already in place to attract more tourists to the country.

More crucial is the need for all Ugandans to own this sector by promoting local tourism through visiting various destinations and individually contributing to preserving our tourist attractions. We must collectively make tourism a central growth sector.