Uganda Tour News

The service expo that will be held from March 23 to 28, is expected to be attended by over 500 exhibitors from different African countries.

The International Expo for Trade in Business and Professional Services will take place at the Uganda Manufacturers Association show grounds in Lugogo, Kampala.

Countries that have confirmed participation include South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, and participants were expected to network with each other to promote their competitiveness.

The show will showcase services that include tourism and travel, financial services, insurance, real estate, telecommunications, information and communication technology, consultancy, engineering, post delivery and procurement.

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda tourism News.

Eagle Air will soon start flights to western Uganda.

The local passenger airline, in a bid to promote tourism is putting western Uganda on its regular destinations.

The airline airline will operate regular flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Entebbe to Mbarara (Nyakisara Airfield) and Kihihi (Savannah Resort Airfield) but will also make diversions to Kisoro, Mweya and Kasese when required.

The flight will reach tourist sites including; Bwindi Gorilla park, Queen Elizabeth Park, Ishasha and mountain Rwenzori

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda National Parks

Amos Masaba, the vice chairperson Uganda Tourism Association has said that the Tourism industry in Uganda has not been promoted on the international market.

Uganda is one of the top ten countries in the world endowed with vast attractions of nature and biodiversity, and the country has a lot of potential to earn from tourism.

“The tourism board has no capacity to market the tourism potentials of the country and attract more tourists because it is one of the most under funded boards in the world,” said masaba.

He called upon government to consider promoting tourism first, because growth in tourism is associated with growth in investments as most investors first visit the country as tourists before picking interests to invest.

By Jackie Kisibo

Tourism in Uganda

Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) has set a target of a million tourists by 2012.

This is to be achieved by expanding the scope of products provided, and entice tourists to stay longer with attractive packages.

“We intend to expand our activities within Europe and also target new markets like the US and Asia this year. The Ugandan stand design shall be consistently improved to be competitive at different exhibitions as we benchmark best practices internationally,” said William Byaruhanga, the board chairman,

Uganda has a wide range of attractions, ranging from Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi ,Queen Elizabeth for game viewing, Kibale Forest for chimpanzee viewing, nature guided walks and Murchison Falls National Park for Birding game viewing, chimpanzees and guided forest walks.

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda safaris.

Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) is protesting the local government tax.

The UHOA executive director, Ismail Sekandi said that the association has written to the finance ministry with a complaint about two types of taxes.
These include taxes on specifically-designed vehicles used by tour operators and also the introduction of the local government tax on hotels and another levy being introduced in the Tourism Bill of February 2008.

The local government tax is a double taxation in the sense that it is levied from our gross revenue, while the taxes on vehicles should be removed as a way of attracting more investment in the sector. The taxes have also led to an increase in prices of products and Services.

The sector contributes 10% to the national’s gross domestic product, and earns Uganda $320m in export earnings.

By Jackie Kisibo

Safaris in Uganda.

Lions have been sighted in Lake Mburo National Park.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the 3 lions are thought to have probably migrated into the park from Sango Bay in Rakai district. Mburo used to be connected to an expansive forest, wetland and grasslands of Sango Bay in Rakai, which stretches up to the Kagera region in northern Tanzania.

A decade ago, Lions were declared extinct in the Lake Mburo protected area that lies nearest to Kampala. The park is a habitat for a variety of birds including the rare shoebill stork The park harbors several species of mammals including Zebras, impalas, elands, topi and buffaloes., its sculptured landscape with rolling grassy hills and idyllic lake shores.

“The last lion was seen in 1997 and for sure there was no lion living in Mburo at the turn of this decade,” said Sam Mwandha, the director of conservation at UWA.

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda national parks.

Kampala Serena Hotel was recently admitted to the group of the most prestigious hotels, under the Leading Hotels of the World.

When business travelers visit the country, they usually look out for leisure activities in
national parks and game reserves as a way of relaxing, and Uganda’s tourism industry is expected to flourish further following the admission of the hotel to a highly respected hospitality organisation representing about 450 of the world’s best hotels and resorts in 80 countries.

The hotel was chosen to be among the prestigious group after passing a quality operation and service test of 1,500 points that the Leading Hotels looks at, and Uganda now joins the group of only nine African countries where some of the world’s leading hotels are located. African countries that have for long been in the special tourism bracket include South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Morocco and Seychelles.

“For Uganda to be in the leading hotel’s book, it puts the country on the map as a destination that has world class hotels,” Mr Mahmud Jan Mohamed, the managing director of Serena Hotels in East Africa, said.

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda travel News.

Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA) has reduced National park entry fees by 50% in a month-long offer which started on December 15.

The move is to encourage tourists to visit Uganda’s national parks and enjoy the natural wonders during the festive season.

To visit Queen Elizabeth NP known for wildlife, Murchison falls NP known for the mighty falls, Bwindi Impenetrable NP with half of the world’s mountain gorillas, Lake Mburo, Kibale home of chimpanzees, Mgahinga, Kidepo and Rwenzori national parks, UWA previously charged sh5,000 (about $3) for Ugandans, $15 for East Africans and $25 for non- residents per day.

Ugandans and East African adults would pay sh5, 000 and 2,500 for children per day, while foreign residents and non-foreign residents will pay $20 and $30 respectively.
He said the private sector was coming up with accommodation facilities inside and outside the parks and that this would subsequently absorb the increasing demand. Uganda has 10 national parks namely Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori, Kibale and Mgahinga.

Moses Mapesa, the UWA executive director also said that the private sector was coming up with accommodation facilities inside and outside the parks and that this would subsequently absorb the increasing demand. Uganda has 10 national parks namely Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori, Kibale and Mgahinga.

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda safaris.

New Elections will be held to choose a Kyabazinga of Busoga.
During a meeting that took place at State House Nakasero between the President Yoweri Museveni and the Busoga clan chiefs, it was resolved that there should be a re-run of the elections at a date to be communicated by the Ssabalangira.

President Museveni declared that Wambuzi Muloki was not recognized as a legitimate Kyabazinga. He said the election was in defiance of a Constitutional Court injunction.
The Constitutional Court had suspended the election following a petition by two chiefs contesting a clause in the Busoga constitution.

On October 31, six out of the 11 hereditary chiefs elected Edward Columbus Wambuzi Muloki to replace his late father, Henry Wako Muloki. But five of the 11 hereditary chiefs boycotted the elections. The chiefs included princes Christopher Mutyaba (Bukono), Munulo Luba (Bunyha), Fred Kakaire (Bugweri) Patrick Izimba and Gabula Nadiope.

They contended that the election was marred by gross irregularities, including threats against some chiefs and failure to respect the quorum for such elections.

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda travel News.

A 7-day trade and business exhibition is being organized by the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry [UNCCI] Jinja.

Over 100,000 buyers and exhibitors are expected to attend the exhibition from all parts of Uganda and abroad.

The event designed to help the business community with an influential global network for business culture and education ideas is to run under the theme: “Towards Economic Development and Industrialization in the 21st Century”.

The Exhibition will take place at Kakindu Stadium in Jinja town between December 8 and 14.

By Jackie Kisibo

Uganda News.