Tourism in Uganda

During the 1960's and up until 1972, tourism was the third most important foreign exchange earner after coffee and cotton for Uganda. In 1971 there were 85,000 visitors and income was $27m. However during Idi Amin's rule, tourism ceased with wildlife parks and hotels becoming totally neglected.

Under Milton Obote's Government recovery programme, the tourism sector began to be slowly rehabilitated with the numbers of visitors rising from 8,622 in 1982 to an estimated 40 000 in 1986.

However, tourism in Uganda is still not nearly as developed as in the neighbouring country of Kenya. The present government is hoping that tourism in the future will help to rebuild the economy and it has an ongoing programme of hotel renovation and construction,

The main attractions are the national game parks, where there are large concentrations of wildlife and innumerable colourful birds.

With tourism on the increase in Uganda, it will have an impact on more and more of the country, the local communities and the landscape. Not all these impacts will be beneficial to the local communities or the local environment. Just, what exactly are the benefits and the costs of introducing tourism to a country such as Uganda?

Here are some programme ideas to help you explore the issues surrounding tourism and its impact on a developing country.

Programme Ideas

1. Tourism in the Third World-. Who benefits? Who pays?

2. Tourism brochures: Fact or fiction?