Uganda’s tourism

In the 1960s Uganda was visited by 100,000 international tourists each year, tourism was ranked the country’s fourth largest earner of foreign exchange. Uganda’s Tourism is mostly focused on landscape, culture and wildlife. It is a major driver of employment, investment and foreign exchange, contributing 4.9 trillion Ugandan shillings (US$1.88 billion or €1.4 billion as of August 2013) to Uganda's GDP in the financial year 2012–2013. Game parks like Murchison falls national game park and queen Elizabeth national game park were the most popular, currently Uganda is wildly promoting its tropical forests.

Bwindi impenetrable national park is currently our countries’ trade mark because of its prime attraction which are the mountain gorillas, it has more than 300 mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable has almost half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas, it is located in southwest Uganda in eastern Africa. The area has received focused governmental protection since 1932, and by 1964, the reserve was given added protection as an animal sanctuary in order to protect the mountain gorillas living within the area. It was officially gazetted as a national park in 1991, with regulated gorilla trekking commencing in April 1993. Gorilla viewing tourism was introduced in 1993 as a potential solution to multiple problems, to generate revenue for the Ugandan government from gorilla viewing permits with a portion invested back into local communities, prioritizing gorilla conservation and offering continued protection of the Bwindi forest itself. In the 1990’s, approximately 3,000 people visited Bwindi annually. By 2011, BINP was receiving more than 15,000 tourists each year and the numbers have continued to rise. Habituation of additional gorilla groups has been justified by increased tourist demand and to spread the economic benefits of employment opportunities (e.g. Through gorilla tourism jobs ranging from guides to porters to workers in the lodging/hospitality sectors) to more communities residing in different areas of BINP. The census conducted in 2018 estimated a minimum of 459 gorillas in Bwindi forming 50 family groups. In 2014, an estimated 42% of the BINP gorilla population was visited by the public, with habituation of 12 groups containing 168 gorillas. Indications from ongoing census efforts indicate that gorilla numbers in Bwindi remain stable, and the number of habituated groups had increased to 17 by the end of 2018. Therefore, for tourists who want to go for gorilla trekking, Uganda is one of the best destinations to visit since it offers a variety of mountain gorillas. There is staggering recovery made by Uganda’s premier savanna reserves, where these days, one can be almost certain of encountering lions, elephants, and buffaloes. There are the Rwenzori’s and Mount Elgon, where one can explore east Africa’s bizarre montane vegetation without the goal-oriented approach associated with ascents of mounts Kilimanjaro or Kenya. And there is Bujagali Falls, which is rapidly emerging as east Africa’s answer to that more southerly `adrenalin capital,’ with its white-water rafting, kayaking, and bungee jump comparable to one at Victoria Falls.

Uganda does not lack tourist facilities too. As recently as ten years ago, international-class hotels and restaurants were all but non-existent outside the capital. Today, by contrast, practically every major attraction along the primary tourist circuit is serviced by one to four luxury lodges and/or tented camps. Five-star international hotel brands are lighting up the hospitality market in metropolitan cities like Golden Tulip, Hilton International, Marriot International, Onomo Hotels, and Radisson Blu.

The Mara Naboisho Conservancy is home to an impressive number of resident leopard.

Queen Elizabeth national game park recently noticed the tree climbing lions which is something very rare, lions normally do not climb trees except in extremely critical conditions where their lives are being threaten yet still its something very rare however these lions in Uganda intentionally climb trees for their leisure. There are varieties of attractions in Uganda for example mountains, water bodies, rift valleys, wildlife, the equator and not forgetting the night life especially in Kampala city its not one the best cities in Africa but it’s the city that can make one experience a magical night life so it’s a must visit. There are 10 national parks offering different experiences due to some differences of attractions in this national parks these parks include; lake Mburo national park which is known as the home of zebras with its well developed acacia woodland it harbors a number of wildlife species ,its also the best place to see the gigantic eland antelope, crocodiles , hippopotamus among others, Kidepo national park which is blessed with a no of herds of the mighty buffalos this is one of the big fives that are the must see in Uganda, Uganda’s national parks contain 38 carnivores and 30 antelope species. In fact, Uganda is the only country in the world that has both the Big 5s and gorillas. Mt Rwenzori national park here we have the Rwenzori mountain ranges which are the a world className hiking and mountaineering destination the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, topped by the 5,100-meter Margherita Peak, are the highest mountain ranges in Africa and one of Uganda’s major UNESCO World Heritage sites. The volcanic Virunga Mountains and Mount Elgon also offer excellent trekking opportunities, we also have the source the Nile on river Nile this river is the longest river in Africa in the world its marked the second longest after the amazon river it covers 11 countries in Africa but it Uganda which is blessed with its source and this is the must see when you visit Uganda among others.

Birds

Uganda has more than 1,000 bird species home to over 50% of the entire bird population in Africa and 10% of the world. Queen Elizabeth National Park has over 605 species, the largest of any protected area in Africa. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was voted Africa’s number one birding site (2012) by the African Bird club this makes Uganda a must visit for the bird lovers interesting birds like the shoebill, wattled plorer African jacana, Africa fish eagle, saddle billed stock, narinas trogon, pelican among other these birds such as the shoebill are hard to find elsewhere. This makes Uganda arguably the richest African bird destination despite it being a small country and the seasons to visit Uganda for bird watching is between august and February across the country.

The equator

Uganda equator is one of the best destination in Uganda where one can go and stand with one leg in the northern and the other in the south hemisphere you can as well get amazed by weighing yourself at the equator which can weigh less by 0.5% because of the gravity distance is at the line that’s weighs 0.5% but once you leave your original weight returns which is an awesome experience to encounter in a life time.

Culture

Culture and religious tourism are also other attractions which create magical experience in Uganda. Religious tourism in Uganda is a steadily growing product niche among a progressive wildlife-based tourism industry. There’s no doubt that the country’s natural history and the nineteenth-century European exploration, trade, and colonization significantly shape tourism in Uganda. The nineteenth-century brought Arab traders, European explorers, and Christian missionaries who drove native religions to extinction and introduced widely practiced foreign faiths. The evolution of religious tourism in Uganda is typically centered around the natives’ resistance to foreign religions, the process of adapting, the consequences between the 19th and 20th centuries. Uganda has got a vibrant and rich culture that tourists from around the world visit the country year for the memorable experience, Uganda has 54 tribes and almost all these tribes’ different cultural norms. These makes Uganda a remarkable tourism destination.