UGANDA Seeks To Boost Wildlife Tourism As Economy Recovers From COVID

January 2023
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Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kampala Uganda (Wikipedia)

By Atwiine Allen – DIPLOMATIC TIMES CORRESPONDENT

KAMPALA- UGANDA – Uganda is seeking to boost its wildlife tourism as the East African nation recovers from the devastation caused by the COVID pandemic. Uganda’s tourism sector was the hardest hit by the coronavirus as the as Government issued travel warnings to people travelling to, and out of Uganda. Pre-COVID, Uganda’s tourism industry had been growing by 20 percent annually for a decade, and $1.6 billion tourism earnings as of 2019. Before COVID, Uganda had 1.6 million tourist arrivals per year, according to the Uganda Tourism Board. In 2021, tourist arrivals slumped to 521,000. And on top of COVID, the country’s recent bout with an Ebola outbreak also weighed down the growth of the travel and tourism sector.

UGANDA Secures Investment To Expand Wildlife Tourism

COVID caused a devastating impact on the travel and hospitality industry with massive job loses. Uganda is home to more than ten national parks and wildlife reserves. The ten National Parks include Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, Kibale, Mount Elgon, Rwenzori Mountains, Semuliki, Mgahinga Gorilla, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks. Mountain gorillas remain the major attraction in Uganda wildlife tourism. The endangered mountain gorillas bring in tourists from all over the world. Uganda is ranked as a top tourist destination and one of only three countries with about 50% of the world’s known population of endangered mountain gorillas, according to Lonely Planet. Uganda has the Africa safari big five wild animals (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Giraffe, and Rhinoceros). There are also zebra, antelope. Reptiles – Crocodiles, pythons, snakes, monitor lizards, chameleons.

Elephants at Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kampala, Uganda (Credit: ugandaparks.com)

In 2022, the Uganda Wildlife Authority signed three concession agreements to develop high-end tourism accommodation facilities in Murchison Falls National Park and Kyambura Wildlife Reserve in Queen Elizabeth Protected Area. The investment will include developing Luxury tented Camps and high-end lodges in the wildlife parks. Uganda also expects more tourists from China as a result of investment in UWA area. The concession agreements were signed as a result of an initiative between Space for Giants and the Uganda Wildlife Authority to attract conservation-supporting tourism providers to invest in Uganda’s National Parks.

“These will offer the much needed services to high end visitors who love luxury,” Sam Mwandha, Executive Director Uganda Wildlife said in a statement.

Uganda Wildlife, on the strategic front, has placed a lot of emphasis on strengthening wildlife protection, tackling wildlife crime, mitigating negative impacts of human wildlife conflict and promoting its protected areas as tourist destinations. Uganda Wildlife has also been “aggressive in strengthening our relationships” with the communities neighboring protected areas and continued to share benefits. “We disbursed UGX 9.5 billion revenue share to our communities,” Mwandha said.

Visitor numbers to Uganda’s protected areas increased to 265,539 collecting UGX 69 billion in financial year 2021/22 compared to 103,812 visitors and UGX 21 billion in financial year 2020/21, according to Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Security has also been improved as some tourists did not feel safe as some wildlife parks are near violent-prone areas such as the DR Congo.

Uganda is ranked as a top tourist destination and one of only three countries with about 50% of the world’s known population of endangered mountain gorilla. (Wikipedia)

(Diplomatic Times East African Correspondent Atwiine Allen with Pontius Ezuna, Conservation Manager Chief Warden, official at the headquarters of Uganda Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kampala Dec. 22, 2022)

Diplomatic Times East African Correspondent Atwiine Allen interviewed Pontius Ezuna, Conservation Manager Chief Warden, official at the headquarters of Uganda Wildlife Authority in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kampala on a range of issues regarding wildlife tourism. Mr. Ezuna spoke on the wildlife tourist attractions in the numerous national parks in the East African country as well as how the communities surrounding the parks benefit from the large amount of tourist money spent each year.

DIPLOMATIC TIMES VIDEO / Diplomatic Times East African Correspondent Atwiine Allen interviews Pontius Ezuna, Conservation Manager Chief Warden, official at the headquarters of Uganda Wildlife Authority in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kampala on a range of issues regarding wildlife tourism.

Pontius Ezuna, Conservation Manager Chief Warden, official at the headquarters of Uganda Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kampala.

Wild Animals Are Only Dangerous When You Get Too Close to Them: Ezuna

Question: I saw large Buffaloes and wild animals in the Queen Elizabeth National Park roaming through the area as cars and people are passing by. Is this dangerous?

“Wildlife, they become dangerous when you come close to them. They also don’t want to attack. But there is what is called the critical distance. For example, even for humans if I meet you for the first time and I keep coming closer to you, closer to you, you don’t feel comfortable. So for the wildlife, the most important thing is keep your distance. Don’t go close to them. Once you exceed that critical distance for any animal, it will attack. That is how people can be attacked. But if you keep your distance, they will not bother you. When they come close on the road if you are driving a car, stop wait. They will all cross, they you move. Also avoid speeding in your car in the wildlife park because you can easily come across and hit one of these animals (such as large elephants, buffalo) and it will be your life which will be taken. Therefore, speeding is not allowed in the national parks. Because at the allowed speed limit, you would have seen any animals at a distance and would have stopped.”

-Pontius Ezuna, Conservation Manager Chief Warden

Communities Want Share Of Large Revenue From Uganda Wildlife Tourism

Uganda wildlife tourism with its exotic safaris is an important source of revenue for Uganda. In the financial year, 2018–2019 tourism earned Uganda’s GDP 5.6 trillion Ugandan shillings (US$1.60 billion or €1.3 billion as of Dec 2019) from 1.6 million tourists (World Bank 2019).

Question: How are the communities surrounding Uganda’s wildlife parks benefitting?

Answer: “When the tourists come over here to see the beauty of the park, when they come here, they give money. And this money, by Ugandan law, 20 percent of the revenue is kept in what is called the revenue sharing account. And every year, this money is given back to the communities for projects and development in their areas. And the more the tourists come, the more the communities benefit. So, like the COVID period, we missed that opportunity because there was no travel.”

-Pontius Ezuna, Conservation Manager Chief Warden

Uganda Vigilant In Combatting Elephant Ivory Poaching

Elephant ivory fetches up to $250 US Dollars (900,000 Shillings) per kilogramme on Ugandan Black Market

According to a 2017 report entitled “Deadly Profits: Illegal Wildlife Trafficking through Uganda and South Sudan”, Uganda and South Sudan have been trafficking hubs for wildlife from Congo and West Africa in recent years, where armed groups and criminal networks have profited, and some state actors have been complicit. Elephant ivory fetches up to 250 dollars or 900,000 Shillings per kilogramme on the Ugandan black market.

Uganda Elephant Population Has Grown to 5,000

In Uganda, the elephant population has grown over the years to currently more than 5,000, and are a target in the growing ivory poaching crisis. Most African nations with elephant populations have been vigilant in fighting poaching, particularly Uganda. According to a data compiled by the Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants, an international project, the proportion of illegally killed elephants fell by approximately 30 per cent across the African continent and over 90 per cent in Uganda since it peaked in 2011.

“We have been vigilant in combatting illegal poaching of animals in Uganda, particularly elephants. The elephant population has grown over the years to currently more than 5,000, and are a target in the growing ivory poaching crisis. People kill elephants for the ivory. It was in 2012 when we had the highest cases of elephants killed in Queen Elizabeth Park. But since that time, we have suppressed it. Now we can comfortably say we are protecting wildlife in this area.”

-Pontius Ezuna, Conservation Manager Chief Warden

However, there have been some reports of wildlife poaching in some national parks due to the pandemic’s impact on the economy. As cities locked down and businesses closed, many villagers turned to poaching for money and wild meat for sustenance.

Tagged with: East Africa, tourism, Uganda, Wildlife

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