Do Local Communities Benefit from Tourism?

Uganda is a land locked country situated in East Africa. It is bordered by Kenya in the east, Tanzania in the south, Democratic Republic of Congo in the west and Sudan in the north. According to lonely planet, Uganda is among the top tourist destinations in the world having host a variety of wildlife, wonderful relief and drainage among others – thus SIR WINSTON S. CHURCHILL stated that Uganda is “the pearl of Africa”.

The Lonely Planet Travel Guides: Uganda voted #1 Best in Travel for 2012, the ranking was based on National Parks in Uganda include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – the park is known for hosting half of the world’s mountain Gorillas. Today there are 14 habituated gorilla families that are visited by tourists who take gorilla safaris in Uganda‘s misty tropical rainforests of Bwindi. Mgahinga Forest is another Gorilla park with only one gorilla group known as Nyakagezi though unreliable for being mobile and some times cross the boarder to Rwanda or Democratic Republic of Congo. Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest in Uganda and well known for hosting a variety of birds and animals- boat cruises of Kazinga channel is also amazing. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest in Uganda with lots of animals including four of the “big five” ; Cape buffalo, elephants, lions, leopard are best to be seen in the northern part (above the Nile). Mountain Elgon and Rwenzori are among the world heritage sites and hiking is the major activity there. Lake Mburo National park is the smallest National Park in Uganda but with lots of wild life including the giraffes which have just been introduced from Murchison Falls National Park. Semliki National Park is well known for hot springs and Kidepo valley National Park in North Eastern Uganda.

Other famous tourist attractions out side National Parks include Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, River Nile, Mabamba Shoebill sanctuary, Ishasha tree climbing lions, the Uganda Equator, Kasubi Tombs, Uganda Martyrs shrines Namugongo, Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary among others. It should be noted that around each tourist attraction, there are communities of people who are benefiting from tourism in the following ways:

Many people are employed in Lodges, Hotels, parks, game reserves among others. They serve as rangers, Hotel attendants, guides, guards to enable then earn a living.

Local communities are secured in terms of security- the guards keep on patrolling the areas around the tourist potentials – Therefore, people operate their business with our fear.

Tourists provide markets for Ugandan products like art and crafts, local food stuffs, local shoes among others.

Visitors to Uganda bring in near ideas and empower citizens with new skills of producing quality products – tourists with special skills trains Ugandans in industrial work and so on.

Some visitors sponsor Ugandan projects like schools, health centres, small scale industries, babies homes/ orphanages among others.

Profits from tourists’ income are used to improve Ugandan infrastructures like roads, accommodation, health centers and so on.

Tourism has led to the general development of the country in terms setting up of new Hotels/ Lodge, road hence developing the remote areas.

People projects are empowered – people around the tourist attracts have set up local music, dance and drama groups to entertain tourists to earn a living.

Uganda has become famous internationally because of tourism – the country exhibits her potential in world tourism markets per annum.

Contests like Miss Tourism have been initiated and many people have benefited.