4 New Tourism Products Unveiled
Four New tourism products aimed at boosting Uganda’s tourism capacity have been unveiled. Thanks to the efforts by the Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) and Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) in conjunction with Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA)
The above three bodies together with private tourism agencies unveiled the new tourism products, which includes Namugongo Shrine Faith Based Tourism, Uganda National Museum Indigenous Dinner, Uganda Rwenzori Cultural Trail, and Interpretation Capacity Building for Birding on Wednesday at a tourism review workshop in Kampala. The products will cost shs231 billion.
The money will be raised through partnership with local and tourism companies from neighboring countries such as Kenya and Rwanda, among others, with UTB, UTA and TMEA contributing the biggest percentage.
The raised money will be used to build accommodations, cultural museums and marketing of the new products, said Mr. Richard Kawere UTAs technical coordinator.
Mr. Kawere said that this is just an estimated cost that would be incurred in the establishment and marketing of these new tourist products. The final budge t will be established after consultation meeting and site.
These new tourism products will, among other things, improve tourism influential capacity and sustainability through building national tourist peak associations such as encouraging private public dialogue together with improving competitiveness and marketability of Uganda tourism products said Mr. Stephen Asiimwe.
Mr. Wanjiku Kimamo, the TMEA senior programmer, whose organization has supported the project with Shs1.1b has called upon EA governments to take tourism as one of the priority sectors because of its strong participation of enterprises, opportunities to create jobs, increase incomes and contribution to national economies.
Mr. Asiimwe said new products will increase tourism earning from $1.4b (about Shs4.9 trillion) to more than $2b in the next two years. He said the products are estimated to attract 100,000 potential visitors annually, spending $250 (about Shs900, 000) a night.
He again said that concentrating on visitor’s stay and what they spend will lead into increased visitor volumes and value to the economy. If applied, this will strengthen competitiveness of Uganda as a destination.
Mr. Bonifence Byamukama, the UTA president, said their 2015 research discovered that many tourists travel back with the money because Uganda tourism has been reduced to only wildlife.
Mr. Byamukama added that “Uganda’s tourism has been rotating around Gorillas and other wild animals. We need new spice in the tourism industry.
