In its commitment to promote domestic tourism with a bang this year, the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) in partnership with Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Uganda Safari Guides Association has started providing highly discounted domestic adventures around the country.
According to UTB Head of Marketing Mr Edwin Muzahura, this was prompted by an overwhelming public demand and, the positive reception of similar offers that defined Uganda’s tourism in 2014 such as Big birding day, Circumcision festival in Mbale, Bishop Hanington day among others.
Unlike a trip arranged on a private basis, Mr Muzahura notes that the unique beauty of such offers is that they will be very pocket friendly yet pricelessly rewarding to the dot. Better still, that is just the footnote.
In addition, they will be graced by plenty of professional tour guides who will attend to participants and spice up their experiences. Domestic tourists and tour experiences the Karamoja trail in Kabong district last week.
Mr Herbert Byaruhanga, President of the Uganda Tourism Association, applauded the approach saying it will be an eye opener to many Ugandans thus demystifying the thought that exploring Uganda’s attractions is strictly an affair for foreign travelers.
In a move aimed at walking the talk, the initiative was flagged off last week with a four day fun packed familiarization adventure around Karamoja region covering plentiful of tourism experiences and attractions inclusive of Kidepo Valley National Park, the Karamoja trail in Kabong District and culinary experiences of Luo dishes in Gulu among others.
The event which was attended by conservationists, travel enthusiasts and tour guides was also used to give tour operators a first-hand experience of the safari Park which comes across as a multi-award winning destination across the continent. According to Mr Johnson Masereka, the area conservation manager of Kidepo national park this move helped to broaden the knowledge of the tour operators thus giving them opportunity to market it from an informed point of view.
To the uninitiated, Kidepo is famed for its remoteness and huge concentration of wildlife not to mention an explosive landscape of astonishing contrasts and plenty of endemic species. Kidepo is the only park in Uganda where you’ll find both the Rothschild giraffes and zebras.
During the experience, participants were also treated excellent chances of viewing species that crossover from Sudan such as the white eared cob, and birds like the black breasted barbet among plenty.
The unexpected bonuses were the cheetah and leopard among other cats.
