Let us support Uganda's tourism sector

By David Serumaga

I attended a press briefing at Uganda Media Centre held by Uganda Tourism Board where top members in the tourism sector had hired a public relations media team to market Uganda in German.

This was a good strategy because tourism is one of Uganda's foreign exchange earnings and by marking it in other countries will bring more money and tourists to our country.

While in the briefing, the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Ephraim Kamuntu, asked journalists to raise their hands if there is one who had visited mountain Rwenzori or Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Unfortunately, none of them proved that has ever visited those places. It was a big shame to all of us because we always watch and see pictures of whites visiting our tourism sites.

It is a shame for us to fail to know what is happening in our nation and we leave it for others. Even if some Ugandans get a chance to go to outside countries, they cannot talk about Uganda because they do not know its beauty.

Uganda is one of the most gifted countries in Africa and the world at large that is why in 1978, the former Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill named it the Pearl of Africa because of its beautiful, attractive and friendly tourism sites.

When I was talking with some people around town about why they have failed to visit Uganda's tourism sites. Majority of them said that they were born here and they find it hard to visit those places. This does not mean that they know what God gifted for Uganda. One day we some will miss wonderful things because they take them for granted.

Being born in Uganda does not mean that we leave tourism for visitors, it doesn't make any meaning if we fail to access beautiful and cheap things which are near us and we run for expensive ones. Those coming in Uganda for tourism, come to enjoy our beauty in order to have historical memories about our country.

We need to change our mindsets that being in Uganda, we know it better. We need to engage in domestic tourism because when we do, we get know what is lacking and raise it to the concerned people for improvement. It adds nothing if a citizen goes abroad for tour yet he or she has never visited the beautiful tourism sits in his or her country.

As Uganda Tourism Board is doing its best to market Uganda here and abroad, we need to engage in its activities by raising awareness and promoting cultural heritage.

Let us love our nation and appreciate God for the gift of Uganda by promoting tourism together.