Kisoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Conservationists and tour operators in Kigezi sub-region have condemned the killing of one of Uganda’s silverback Mountain Gorilla’s known as Rafiki. Rafiki who was thought to be 25 years old went missing on June 1 and his body was discovered a day after at …
Read More »New SOPs in place as Sheraton Kampala resumes work
Kampala Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | With Uganda easing the lockdown restriction on the hospitality sector, Sheraton Kampala Hotel which opened its doors early …
Read More »Uganda pursues plan to dam Murchison Falls in national park
Murchison Falls, Uganda | AFP | The boat edged as close as possible to the deafening surge of water roaring over Murchison Falls, giving tourists a hair-raising shot of one of Africa’s awesome and terrifying natural spectacles. Tens of thousands visit northwest Uganda every year to marvel as the force of …
Read More »USAID extends UGX 80Bn to address poaching, human life conflict in Uganda
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The United States Agency for International Development-USAID has announced a cash injection of USD 21.5 million (UGX 80 billion) to improve biodiversity in Uganda. The funding will come through three new USAID initiatives including Biodiversity for Resilience implemented by Research Triangle International in partnership …
Read More »Trust, caution vital as travel restrictions start to ease– WTO
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Countries are cautiously starting to ease travel restrictions put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 according to research published by the World Tourism Organization. The details are published in the fourth edition of the agency’s report series titled COVID-19 Travel Restrictions; …
Read More »UTB to market Uganda as safest destination after COVID-19
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) has unveiled plans to aggressively market Uganda as the safest destination to visit after the COVID-19 but also re-brand destination Uganda. UTB Chief Executive Officer Lilly Ajarova said that the COVID-19 pandemic has put the world tourism sector back …
Read More »Rocky road ahead for ‘sharing economy’ platforms amid pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | “Sharing economy” firms like Uber and Airbnb were seeing surging growth and predictions they would reshape several economic sectors. Then the pandemic hit. These companies are now bleeding more cash than ever, shedding workers and scaling back expectations for profitability amid heightened uncertainty about consumer trends …
Read More »Coronavirus shuts down Africa’s tourist industry
Africa’s hotels, tour operators and airlines are all reeling from the impact of coronavirus. The African Business Magazine’s Liam Taylor surveys the situation The Serena Hotel in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, is a luxurious complex of conference facilities, fine dining spaces and landscaped gardens. In normal times Geoffrey Ssejongo, a waiter, would be …
Read More »International tourism to plunge up to 80% due to virus: UN
Madrid, Spain | AFP | The number of international tourist arrivals could plunge by 60 to 80 percent in 2020 owing to the coronavirus, the World Tourism Organization said Thursday, revising its previous forecast sharply lower. Widespread travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders to curb the spread …
Read More »If we cannot do tourism for now, let’s at least talk about it
Despite the challenges the industry faces now, it’s upon the players and stakeholders in the sector to keep reminding themselves of what the tourism sector is and has been for many years COMMENT | Lilly Ajarova | In my opening address at this year’s 5th Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) …
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