The Consulate of Uganda in Mombasa in partnership with Uganda Tourism Board, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tour Operators and Hoteliers in Uganda, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Airlines, Private Sector Foundation and Uganda Tourism Association hosted a delegation of 30 tour operators from the Coastal City of Mombasa for a seven-day familiarization trip to Uganda.
The excursion follows the consulate’s initiatives to promote domestic and regional travel within East Africa.
The delegation toured some of Uganda’s most popular tourist sites that include Ndere Cultural Centre, Namugongo Martyrs’ catholic shrine, Biharwe Eclipse monument, Lake Mburo, Kibale and Bwindi Forest National Parks.
Ambassador Paul Makubuya, during the excursion, explained that it was a rare opportunity to experience and explore the Pearl of Africa in a way that seeks to complement tourism in Uganda and Kenya.
“Uganda has a wealth of intriguing tourism products that are not present in many other parts of the East African region which are marketable to Mombasa tourism source market. These include; chimpanzees, mountain gorillas, Mt. Rwenzori, culinary, cultural tourism, stunning landscape, freshwater bodies like Lake Victoria as well as the natural environment with a year-round moderate climate,” he remarked.
According to Katherine Odongo, a tour operator with African Quest Safaris in Kenya, Uganda offers some of the most exquisite grasslands in all of Africa.
Amazingly natural beauty may be found as you pass by tourist destinations, amusement parks and wildlife like baboons in Kibale National Park along the main road.
“We miss having this in our own country. I fell in love with the long-horned cow herds located in western Uganda since they represent an important cultural aspect and precious resource in the customs and ways of life of the people in the Ankole region,” she added.
She explained that Uganda is a place where one can sell a variety of tourism products to the markets in Kenya and Mombasa.
“The country has one of the most exhilarating gorilla tracking experiences; tracking itself is something I’ve never done before despite having travelled to Uganda earlier.”
“We got up close and personal with the human-looking mountain gorilla. Going through the mountain ranges is something so unique that I had to record videos and take photos for memories to share with family and friends. We enjoyed the beautiful sights and sounds of both the gorillas and nature. Meeting the gorillas alone was a worthwhile experience that I look forward to doing over and over again. The guides and porters were friendly as they taught us about the different plants, herbs, and gorilla food and we learned some leaves are used by host communities to make mats, among other essential souvenirs,” she concluded.
The purpose of the domestic tour was to interest a 30-member team of tourism private sector stakeholders from Mombasa to immerse themselves in Uganda’s unique tourism sites and attractions.
