The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities in partnership with Agencies; Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority, UWEC, UHHTI, and UWRI, and private sector players have embarked on exploring Western Uganda in a domestic tourism campaign dubbed “Explore Western Region”.
The campaign is aimed at interesting Ugandans to visit the uniquely prized tourist sites and attractions in the region.
The Explore Western Region domestic tourism promotional trail comes a few months after the successful Explore Elgon domestic tourism campaign that witnessed hundreds of Ugandans participate as they visited Mbale City, Wanale Hill, and Sipi Falls among others in December last year.
The campaign led by Martin Bahinduka Mugarra, the State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, started with a stopover at the Uganda Equator in Kayabwe and Lukaya for some mouthwatering roasted Nyama Choma, chicken and refreshments before travelling to the tourist-friendly Mbarara Igongo Cultural Centre as the meeting point.
In the company of local leaders, the team will leverage the five days to visit a series of attractions and tourism hotspots in Western Uganda such as the Eclipse monument in Biharwe, Mugaba Palace, Kyamuhunga growers tea estate, Lake Nkugute, Kyambura Gorge viewpoint, Katunguru bridge, Rubirizi Crater lakes, Mweya Peninsula, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Katwe Salt lake mines, Kilembe mines ruins, Nyamwamba Valley, Rwenzori Mountain National Park, Mihunga Gate, Tooro Kingdom Palace, Semuliki National Park, Amabeere Ga Nyina Mwiru among others.
Speaking at Igongo cultural lodge, Mugarra asked Ugandans to take part in the drives that are aimed at promoting destination Uganda.
He noted that Covid-19 taught them that domestic Tourists can help sustain the industry.
Mugarra said they have embarked on domestic tourism promotional initiatives as the road to recovery of their tourism sectors and as a way of igniting interest among local and foreign tourists.
Before the pandemic, Uganda’s tourism industry was growing at a rapid pace contributing 7.7% of GDP in FY2018–2019 and was the top foreign exchange earner for the previous five years.
Some of the influencers that joined the drive
In addition to collectively protecting and conserving the country’s abundant natural resources, the sector employed over 677,000 young people.
He encouraged Ugandans to explore and discover their Country as they join the Explore Western Region this April.
He said as the ministry works with the private sector, they are curating products that are cost-effective for domestic tourists.
He asked Ugandans to love their country more and market it to the outside world, among other activities.
Adding, with the new brand identity “explore Uganda” they are inviting tourists both local and international to explore Uganda deeply, stay for extended periods of time, and take time to appreciate what the Pearl of Africa has to actually offer.
As travel bounces back and restrictions are lifted by different countries and airports across the world, several countries have stepped up their destination marketing and promotional strategies in a bid to boost domestic tourism so as to attract foreign travellers and regain trust.
