Mountain gorillas are not only among the country’s most treasured wildlife. They have also become a powerful pillar of the tourism economy, generating billions of shillings while supporting livelihoods and helping transform communities neighbouring their forest habitats.
As the world prepares to mark World Gorilla Day on September 24, Uganda is turning the spotlight on a species whose survival has become closely intertwined with the well-being of people living around its habitat.
Launched in 2017, World Gorilla Day coincides with the anniversary of Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Centre and seeks to galvanise global action to protect all gorilla subspecies. Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, according to the 2019 census. A new census has since been conducted, although the final 2025/26 population figure is still awaited.
John Makombo, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Commissioner for Biodiversity Management, said the mountain gorilla population has continued to grow, largely driven by registered births. He said the conclusive figure from the latest census is yet to be released as authorities await completion of the final stages of DNA analysis.
The growing gorilla population has been accompanied by increasing interest in Uganda’s protected areas, reinforcing the connection between wildlife conservation and tourism.
UWA spokesperson Bashir Hangi said Mgahinga National Park recorded 3,601 international and domestic visitors in the 2021/22 financial year. The number rose to 5,325 in 2022/23, 5,507 in 2023/24 and 6,222 in 2024/25.
At Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, visitor numbers increased from 20,367 in 2021/22 to 37,360 in 2022/23. They rose further to 43,984 in 2023/24 before slightly declining to 43,716 in 2024/25.
Hangi cautioned that the figures cover all tourism activities in the two parks and should therefore not be interpreted as gorilla trekking numbers alone.
Makombo said Bwindi and Mgahinga generated more than Sh109.8 billion from gorilla tourism alone in 2022/23. During the same financial year, revenue from other tourism activities in the two protected areas brought total collections to Sh147.9 billion.
Revenue declined to Sh131.9 billion in 2023/24, with gorilla tourism contributing Sh86 billion, amid what Makombo attributed to negative travel advisories issued by foreign missions.
Following campaigns by stakeholders in the tourism sector, revenue recovered to Sh142 billion in 2024/25, with gorilla tourism accounting for Sh93 billion.
The recovery gathered further momentum in 2025/26, when total revenue from the two protected areas reached Sh162.5 billion, of which Sh110 billion came from gorilla tourism.
The figures illustrate how the survival of the mountain gorilla is increasingly linked to a wider economic ecosystem involving tourism operators, employees, local businesses and communities.
Beyond the revenue generated from tourism, the benefits of conservation are also reaching communities living around the parks.
In the financial year ending June 2025, UWA disbursed Sh2.97 billion under its revenue-sharing programme to communities surrounding the Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area. The funds are being used to establish community projects, social enterprises and businesses.
Tourism growth has also created opportunities for people to participate directly in the visitor experience.
The Porters’ Association in Buhoma, established in 1992, currently has 100 members, with more than 50 other community members stationed at the Nyamishamba outpost. Other sectors of Bwindi, including Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo, also have community associations whose combined membership stands at about 500 people providing services to tourists.
Christine Katushabe, founder of Change A Life-Bwindi, a non-profit organisation based in Ruhija, Mpungu Sub-county in Kanungu District, said tourism growth has driven the expansion of accommodation and hospitality businesses across Bwindi’s tourism sectors.
She said high-end lodges have continued to emerge around the park, creating employment opportunities while also providing markets for locally produced supplies.
“Gorillas are not just an attraction for tourists. They are the reason our communities have hope for a better future. When we protect the forest, we protect our children’s livelihoods, our culture and our identity. This year’s celebration is a reminder that conservation only works when the people living closest to the gorillas are the ones leading it,” Katushabe said.
The transformation is visible beyond the tourism establishments themselves. Improved telecommunications, electricity, roads and air connectivity have accompanied the growth of tourism in the region.
The story of Bwindi and Mgahinga, therefore, is no longer simply about protecting forests and wildlife. It is increasingly a story of how conservation can stimulate local economies and create tangible reasons for communities to value the survival of the species that attract visitors to their doorstep.
Although World Gorilla Day falls on September 24, the main national celebrations will be held on October 1. A series of activities will, however, run from September 19 to 21 in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi in Mpungu Sub-county, Kanungu District.
The programme, spearheaded by community NGO Change A Life-Bwindi in partnership with UWA, includes community cleaning, tree planting, free medical camps, community dialogue and gorilla tracking.
Uganda Tourism Board CEO, Juliana Kagwa, called for sustainable tourism practices in Bwindi and Mgahinga while emphasising Uganda’s distinctive gorilla-tracking experience. At the same time, she said Uganda is diversifying its tourism portfolio by developing other attractions to complement the gorilla experience.
Such diversification could strengthen the tourism sector by spreading visitor interest and economic benefits across a wider range of destinations and experiences, while ensuring that gorilla conservation remains part of a broader and sustainable tourism strategy.”