Idi Amin tourism trail to be created

Mar 31, 2014

A proposal to see the often ill-mentioned legacy of Idi Amin turned into an attractive and profitable tourism trail.

By David Mugabe

All major ethnic groups with their unique cultures and attributes will be classified into tourism clusters that will be marketed and promoted as part of a new set of proposals to promote domestic and international tourism.

The proposal announced by Stephen Asiimwe, the chief executive of Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) last week, will also see the often ill-mentioned legacy of former Ugandan president Idi Amin turned into an attractive and profitable tourism trail that marches other global tragedies-turned-tourism-hotspots like the holocaust museum in Germany or Rwanda Genocide.

“Idi Amin is the most popular Ugandan ever but no one is making use of him. We have to develop this trail,” said Asiimwe at the post ITB Berlin briefing on Wednesday.

Among the major cluster groups are Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro, Kigezi, northern Ugandan, eastern tourism forum.

The other trails to be created are Imbalu carnival, Kampala carnival, school outreaches.

“In June we hope everybody participates in the Uganda Martyrs trail. We have cut Uganda into clusters – a sustainable domestic domain is critical for development,” said Asiimwe.

The proposals are part of efforts to see the tourism industry turn a new page after years of living below its potential.

Chief executive Asiimwe announced that the ministry of finance has committed to giving $2m (about sh5bn) in the next financial year, which is a big shot in the arm following years of underfunding.

Part of the efforts will be geared towards marketing Uganda to her neighbours so more people from the EAC come to Uganda to reverse the current scenario in which majority of Ugandans travel to Kenya.

UTB chairman James Tumusiime said his dream is to ensure that by the end of the current board’s three-year tenure, Uganda will have a National Tourism Fair.

“We want this to be our legacy. There is no forum to provide info on what Uganda can offer,” he said.

Acting director of tourism Grace Mbabazi Aulo asked the promoting agencies to build on the goodwill and several accolades that keep pouring in about Uganda’s unique blessings.

Edwin Muzahura, head of marketing at UTB disclosed that their finding indicate that Uganda had one of the highest visits by foreign guests to its stall ever.

Some 700 guests visited the stall in the three-day event while close to 100 deals were sealed.