More tourists visit Uganda
May 24, 2005
UGANDA’s tourist arrivals increased to 512,000 last year from 360,000 in the previous year, sources have said.
By Gerald Tenywa
UGANDA’s tourist arrivals increased to 512,000 last year from 360,000 in the previous year, sources have said.
Tourism minister Daudi Migereko on Saturday commissioned a specialised unit for providing security to tourists in the protected areas at Kololo detachment in Gulu district. He said the unit would secure tourism investments.
“We shall continue committing resources to get the desired results,’’ Migereko said, adding that this would contribute to better performance in tourism.
Moses Mapesa, the acting head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), said the training, which attracted about 643 officers from, UWA and UPDF soldiers, was initiated three years ago.
He said they were not militarising the parks, adding that the track record of networking with the army could be traced back to the 1960s.
Mapesa, however, said Toposa, a warrior group from Sudan with automatic rifles, was a constant threat in Kidepo National Park and that sometimes, they occupy part of the park.
Migereko warned armed poachers and terrorists against trespass.
Mapesa said the tourist numbers to the national parks increased by 17% last year and appealed to local leaders to discourage poaching and promote use of the wild animals.
Speaking at the same ceremony, army commander Aronda Nyakairima called for the withdrawal of the travel advisories released by military attache’s of resident missions that portray the country as an unsafe tourist destination.
Ends
UGANDA’s tourist arrivals increased to 512,000 last year from 360,000 in the previous year, sources have said.
Tourism minister Daudi Migereko on Saturday commissioned a specialised unit for providing security to tourists in the protected areas at Kololo detachment in Gulu district. He said the unit would secure tourism investments.
“We shall continue committing resources to get the desired results,’’ Migereko said, adding that this would contribute to better performance in tourism.
Moses Mapesa, the acting head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), said the training, which attracted about 643 officers from, UWA and UPDF soldiers, was initiated three years ago.
He said they were not militarising the parks, adding that the track record of networking with the army could be traced back to the 1960s.
Mapesa, however, said Toposa, a warrior group from Sudan with automatic rifles, was a constant threat in Kidepo National Park and that sometimes, they occupy part of the park.
Migereko warned armed poachers and terrorists against trespass.
Mapesa said the tourist numbers to the national parks increased by 17% last year and appealed to local leaders to discourage poaching and promote use of the wild animals.
Speaking at the same ceremony, army commander Aronda Nyakairima called for the withdrawal of the travel advisories released by military attache’s of resident missions that portray the country as an unsafe tourist destination.
Ends