Can Govt improve funding for tourism marketing?
Mar 15, 2011
EDITOR: According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics, tourism earned $564m (sh1.3trillion) for Uganda in 2009. Tourism creates more jobs, earns more foreign exchange and taxes for the Government.
EDITOR: According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics, tourism earned $564m (sh1.3trillion) for Uganda in 2009. Tourism creates more jobs, earns more foreign exchange and taxes for the Government.
It also has links with other industries like agriculture, transport, communication and construction. Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is mandated to promote Uganda’s tourism industry locally and abroad.
However, this is one of the most under-funded bodies which is marketing our key strategic resource and foreign exchange earner, using a budget of only sh2b to support its administrative and operational mandate.
The actual marketing and promotion annual budget of UTB is about $350,000(sh840b). This puts us far behind the tourism marketing annual budgets of our competitors like Kenya is $7m (sh168bn), Tanzania, $5m(sh12bn) and Rwanda $3m(sh7.2b).
It is therefore not surprising that these countries are receiving more tourists than Uganda. Donors like the European Union who used to support UTB pulled out in 2008 because the Government did not show much support for the sector.
Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, apart from participating in more tourism exhibitions, always engage in international media campaigns on CNN and Al-Jazeera to mention few and have contracted international public relations and marketing agencies in the UK and US which Uganda cannot afford.
They also arrange familiarisation tours for international tour operators and travel writers and Hollywood stars.
How can Uganda therefore improve its performance with such meagre budget?
Can Uganda’s tourism private sector afford to foot this huge bill in the spirit of the public-private partnership? Will the Government consider increasing its tourism marketing and promotion budget starting next financial year?
Togo Kasoro Mutana
Kampala
It also has links with other industries like agriculture, transport, communication and construction. Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is mandated to promote Uganda’s tourism industry locally and abroad.
However, this is one of the most under-funded bodies which is marketing our key strategic resource and foreign exchange earner, using a budget of only sh2b to support its administrative and operational mandate.
The actual marketing and promotion annual budget of UTB is about $350,000(sh840b). This puts us far behind the tourism marketing annual budgets of our competitors like Kenya is $7m (sh168bn), Tanzania, $5m(sh12bn) and Rwanda $3m(sh7.2b).
It is therefore not surprising that these countries are receiving more tourists than Uganda. Donors like the European Union who used to support UTB pulled out in 2008 because the Government did not show much support for the sector.
Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, apart from participating in more tourism exhibitions, always engage in international media campaigns on CNN and Al-Jazeera to mention few and have contracted international public relations and marketing agencies in the UK and US which Uganda cannot afford.
They also arrange familiarisation tours for international tour operators and travel writers and Hollywood stars.
How can Uganda therefore improve its performance with such meagre budget?
Can Uganda’s tourism private sector afford to foot this huge bill in the spirit of the public-private partnership? Will the Government consider increasing its tourism marketing and promotion budget starting next financial year?
Togo Kasoro Mutana
Kampala