Think tourism, think environmental conservation drive starts as tourists urged to plant trees
Under the agreement, tourists will be offered eco-friendly travel packages that include tree-planting experiences.
Uganda tourists have been urged to plant at least one tree during their stay in the country in a bid to turn tourism into a tool for conservation. (Courtesy Photo)
In a bid to turn tourism into a tool for conservation, Uganda tourists have been urged to plant at least one tree during their stay in the country.
The appeal was made on November 27, 2025, as Treescape Planet Organisation and Travad Tours Uganda Ltd signed a partnership at Christ the King High School, Bweya, where students, teachers and members of the local community joined in the first planting ceremony.
The move comes as the country seeks to reverse decades of deforestation, which have compounded climate change effects around Uganda, with farmers bearing the brunt through longer dry spells and unpredictable weather patterns and seasons.
According to National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) data, national forest cover was about 24% in 1990, but plunged to roughly 9%–10% by the mid-2010s.
Recent reports, however, show modest recovery: forest cover is now estimated at 12.7%, a climb driven by concerted tree-planting and restoration programmes.
Treescape Planet Organisation chief executive officer Gerald Senyonjo emphasised the symbolic and practical value of the new campaign: Travel should not only create memories; it should also leave the environment better than we found it.
“If every tourist planted a tree, we would turn travel into one of the strongest forces for restoring ecosystems and building climate-aware communities," Senyonjo added.
Welcoming the new initiative, NEMA’s head of environment restoration, Dr Akankwasa Barirega, said the partnership aligns well with the agency’s long-term goals.
Schools, community groups and restoration sites will also receive support, and environmental education will be woven into tour itineraries to raise awareness among both visitors and locals. (Courtesy Photo)
“Over the past decade, Uganda registered a forest-cover gain from nine per cent in 2017 to around 13 per cent by 2020,” he noted.
He added, “Yet our challenge remains vast restoration must accelerate if we are to meet our target of 15 per cent forest cover by 2030. Encouraging eco-tourism that plants trees with every trip adds a vital new dimension to this effort.”
Under the agreement, tourists will be offered eco-friendly travel packages that include tree-planting experiences.
Schools, community groups and restoration sites will also receive support, and environmental education will be woven into tour itineraries to raise awareness among both visitors and locals.
Organisers hope this integrated approach will strengthen Uganda’s environmental resilience and help the country chart a clearer path toward sustainable tourism and climate action.