New policies will no doubt deter tourism arrivals and further dampen appetite for travel in an environment that is now more expensive due to added cost of COVID tests COMMENT | DEREK NSEKO | News that the Uganda parliament has okayed a $10 tax on outbound passengers from Uganda comes as …
Read More »MPs endorse tax on passengers flying out of Uganda
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament has adopted a raft of recommendations to revive the economy currently battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, key among is implementation of a Tourism Development Levy. “The Committee proposes a levy of $10 to be charged on each ticket for every person who departs from Uganda …
Read More »EU recommends member states restrict travel from U.S
Rome, Italy | Xinhua | Earlier this week, the European Union recommended that member states reinstate travel restrictions for travelers arriving from the United States, but some analysts don’t expect the change to have a significant impact on the bloc’s recovering tourism sector. Some member states, such as Italy and …
Read More »Residents vandalize Odonga Otto’s buffalo camp site in Amuru
Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents have vandalized Buffalo Camp, a local tourism site around Amuru hotspring in Amuru district belonging to the former Aruu South legislator Samuel Odonga Otto. Close to 150 residents stormed Buffalo Camp that is found in Amuru town council on Tuesday this week and uprooted 500 …
Read More »Tourists hail Uganda for keeping tourism sector open
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tourists are hailing Uganda for keeping the tourism sector open despite imposing the second nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. While announcing the lockdown in June this year, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the closure of schools and suspended inter-district travels to contain the …
Read More »Two poachers get 12 years for killing Bushbuck
Kyenjojo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two men from Rwamwanja refugee settlement in Kamwenge District have earned themselves 12-years-in jail for illegally entering a protected area and killing a bushbuck. The acting Kyenjojo Chief Magistrate, Joy Nambozo sentenced Sabanitah Habimana and Augustine Sobomaana after finding them guilty on both …
Read More »Tour operators, travelers decry slow ferry services at Kazinga Channel Bridge
Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tour operators and travellers have complained about the delays caused by the ferry at Katunguru Bridge. In June, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) announced the temporary closure of Kazinga Channel Bridge at Katungura along the Kasese-Katunguru-Ishaka Road for emergency rehabilitation. UNRA provided free ferry …
Read More »How digital innovation will play key role in tourism sector recovery
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Before the COVID-19 virus arrived in Uganda early last year, the tourism sector was registering a steady rise in foreign exchange from tourists. According to the Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report for Financial Year 2018/2019, revenue rose from $1.45 billion in 2017 to …
Read More »Ethiopia and Uganda to cooperate in promoting tourism
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ethiopian Embassy in Kampala in partnership with the Uganda Tourism Board recently held a webinar titled “Discover why Ethiopia is the origin of so much,” to explore tourism opportunities and cooperation between Ethiopia and Uganda. The online conference attracted senior government officials, tourism experts …
Read More »Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary reopened to tourists
Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA has reopened Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola district. UWA closed Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary which sits on over 16,000 acres of land, and home to 33 endangered White Rhinos in mid-April this year with a message that no tourism activity would be …
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