This website designing was sponsored by USAIDs STAR project which it was intended to help in the marketing of Uganda’s tourists’ attraction around the whole world in the near future and this is excepted to be a success because they will also make use of the this social media via their links like the face book, Twitter, YouTube and even Trip Advisor so that all the people on the different media networks can see the what Uganda has got to offer. Check out www.facebook.com/Uganda Wildlife Authority or follow them on Twitter via @ugwildlife.

Coming up with this new website is as a result of the fact that Uganda was also identified as the must visit place of 2012 by the Lonely planet thus the reason to improve on the marketing strategies if we are to attract more tourists from different countries sine the airline connection is also much easier than before.

On this new website, there are particular sections for a special visitors guide, for the media, the travel trade, researchers as well as potential investors who may want to establish tented safari camps, lodges or even come up with any other , all these can get all the information that they may need  to know.  According to some reporter who attended the function yesterday, said that the new site will also help UWA open another chapter in the business after two tough years of all the enquiries and accusation and suspicions from different corners in the industry but it very good that partners like USAID still trust them and can still help UWA in any way possible to see that they develop. This is a very huge achievement and now that all parks can be clearly seen on the internet, UWA can expect big rewards in the future.

Uganda safari news

There has been misunderstandings going on in the Eastern part of Congo for the past decades as well as before the first Congo war when the place was called the Wild in the East of former Zaire just before it regained its name of Congo immediately after Mobutu Ssese Seko lost power.    Mean while, the rangers in the Bukima which is the closest post to Bikenge at the Virunga boarders had to vacate the area because the place had become so insecure for the rangers and they could not put their lives in danger. This followed the news they had got that there was a ranger who had been attacked by probably privately armed people while on the patrol routine and they killed him along with three park staff personnel.

In the past, the rangers and park outposts were usually attacked by illegal hunters in their effort to sabotage the work of the rangers so that they can easily go a head and kill gorillas, other primates which they kill to get bush meat and trophies but now, although there have been no cases of poaching reported as yet, and although there are no reports at present of any poaching going on.  The fact that there are no patrols in the parks because they fear for their lives, may be the perfect moment for the poachers to go for more so the habituated gorilla groups.

This has brought about some consequences and thee are now a number of travel advisories that have come up trying to warn all travelers who may wish to go to this side of Congo not risk their lives in the name of gorilla tracking. This might greatly affect the tourism sector of Congo after the numbers of tourists who come in to track gorillas reduce and therefore less revenue.

Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo DR formed a body that is responsible for ensuring wildlife conservation in the Virunga conservation area and so has been doing a great job but is more important now to strengthen the force to be able to stamp out the poaching habits and encourage joint tourism activities in order to promote tourism industries in these different countries.  Sincere condolences to the families of those park rangers who lost their lives on job.

Uganda safari news

Virginia also mentioned that this programme would be very productive to the cultural tourism centers for example Igongo Cultural Centre which is located in Mbarara district. She aid all this last Monday after the launch of the three-dimensional map which was sponsored by the embassy at Igongo Cultural Centre and this map cost $10,000,drawn to help guide tourists who may wish to learn about the history of the area. According to Suudi Bamulesewa, who is the team leader of environment and natural resources in USAID Kampala,  this programme will be essential in the development of  tourism activities related to bio-diversity conservation.

According to Suudi Bamulesewa, they will be concentrating more on Lake Mburo National Park and Karinzu Forest Reserve but Kidepo valley and Murchison Falls national parks are also included in the development plan. At the moment, they are trying to find an organization that will help to execute the project on behalf of USAID and the US government at large.

Bamulesewa also revealed that they had kept some money that they would use to help out those entrepreneurs who may be interested in investing in the tourism sector through projects like building hotels where tourists can stay while on their safaris here.  James Tumusiime who is the owner of Igongo Cultural Centre mentioned that his place has promoted research studies, encourages the local people who make handcrafts, musicians as well as singers.

He also encourages all the research and the use of herbal medicine, forestry and any other African cultural related matters. And according to the information that was got, Igongo was set up three years ago at a place where the king of Ankole used to listen to his music from.

Uganda safari news

Mortensen is the manager of the Mugie ranch which is about300 kilometers (186 miles) north of the Kenyan capital Nairobi and keeping it safe from poachers requires  a number of helicopters and airplanes so said Mortensen. He added that there are now 20 rhinos which were resettled in the on this piece of land which is about 18,000-hectare (44,000-acre) sanctuary in 2004 although in 2008 poachers  entered the  reserve struck and killed one animal then took its horns for sale and after this incident, poaching continued one incident after another.

The main challenge the private ranchers are facing is the expense that they have to incur to keep these animals safe. They have hard to increase on the number of rangers on their reserves therefore increasing on the costs to an average $1,200 which is 900 euros per month and all this is done to keep the keep the rhinos alive. 1 rhino is as expensive as $150.

At the moment, Kenya is in position number 3 with the highest number of rhinos of about 600 black and 300 white rhinos which are still surviving the attacks from poachers and in 2009, it was Kenya’s worst year when 12 black and six white rhinos were poached. Poaching is influenced by the readily available market for the products in Asian and Middle East who need them to make traditional medicines for fevers, convulsions as well as an aphrodisiac. The horns are rich in keratin which is also found in animal hooves, human nails and hair, although this substance has got no importance medically, Asians still demand for it.  The more the Asian economy grows, the more the demand for these items increase because there is even a market authorized to deal in illegal horns so said Patrick Bergin, the director African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) which is found in Washington.

Uganda safari news

The lodge is now under going some sort of renovation to match the branding of Marasa Africa and more particular upgrading to the standards of Mweya, Chobe or Paraa will be done some time to come. The rates are at US Dollars 380 for a twin, full board included, and especially that the gorilla tracking fees will be rising to US Dollars 750 per person in Rwanda by next month but in Uganda, the price will remain the same at US Dollars 500 per person in both Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla national parks.

In the related stories, Marasa Africa is just about to complete renovating its two properties in Kenya which include the Aberdare Country Club and The Ark. Most likely, they will be through by the end of June. More information will be provided about the progress of the industry.

Uganda safari news

The Kisauni MP added that there have been cases where the tourists have had to miss their flights due to high traffic congestion but once this project is through, such case will be no more especially since the Airport Road is included in the master plan for expansion. There are also consultations going on with the traders as well as the investors are so that nobody at the end of the day no one is affected by this expansion project. It is in every one’s interest that everyone acquires the necessary satisfaction at the end of the project.

Joho also said that the three million tourists mark targeted by the Tourism ministry is still very low and yet Kenya has got the potential to hit five million marks if there is some bit of innovativeness in the industry.  It is there fore very important that the hotels improve on their standards so that the amount that is they change clients match with the quality of services that they offered to their clients and by so doing, they will be attracting more tourists in the country and therefore improve on the revenue from the industry.  He also encouraged hotel facilities to go ahead and copy from Nyali Beach Hotel which offers executive and exclusive services like Mvita Gold Card, which entitles cardholders to a 20 per cent discount at the Mvita Grill at the hotel.

Uganda safari news

Rwanda is yet to see how much this elevation will help in improvement of the country’s tourism industry, they will have to decide on whether the visits for example to the main memorial site in Kigali will be apart of every city tour that the tourists will be making allowing these tourists to come face to face with the past history of the country or become a special tourists attraction.  One senior tourism stakeholder mentioned that as his guides takes tourists to visit the memorial site, it is very important for the guide to let the tourists know what  happened to Rwanda  so that they can understand clearly  why Rwanda is determined to bring the perpetrators and inciters to justice although it now 18 years  since it  happened.

Every tourists who has the chance to visit the memorial ground gets the opportunity to understand Rwanda better and this is something that Rwanda owes to those who were killed during that time. After understanding the history, you can then appreciate the new Rwanda and how it has managed to struggle through the past 18 years up to now that UNESCO is appreciating it. Recognizing these sites will help increase on their demand for visits which is why the information about it will be put on the on websites and in printed material.  Rwanda greatly appreciates this, it is good to have their victims remembered  and will make sure something like that never ever happen again in the  Land of a Thousand Hills as Rwanda is commonly known.

Uganda safari news

According to the sources from Kenya, people from the tourism industry have known this park Hells Gate for all their lives which is one of the best places for the hikers and mountain climbers and therefore it will be very hard to change its name and will also require some time for the public to get used to any new name that it will be given to it. The vice president should not get involved in these matters especially because he is not an expert in matters related to tourism, all he has got to do is to offer his  condolences and stay out of the rest of the matter since majority of the public agree with KWS in this matter.

Meanwhile Dr. Julius Kipngetich the KWS Chief Executive said they have no intension s of changing the park’s name, he said so during the launch of the countdown of the wheel barrow race at Hells Gate National Park which is done every year so that they can be able to get the money that they can use to upgrade the park as well as providing more facilities and this time it will be held on the 16th June.  He was sad about the death of these 7 youth who drowned from there and he also paid his condolence to their people.

Uganda safari news

Tom Mathinji who is the Nyeri Zonal KFS manager said that there is more than 400 hectares of forestland that was destroyed. He added during the official opening of the program at Gakanga that about 70% of the 384 hectares that was destroyed in Kienji has been restored.

The seedlings that they have will be distributed to the farmers to plant before the rainy season ends so that they become apart of the program although they will be planting on their own pieces of land. Areas that require more tree planting include the moorland area that was burnt by the fires too. And in the eastern bloc of Mt Kenya Forest, KFS has started replacing trees in over 1,000 hectares of forestland.

Stephen Muigai who is the Eastern Conservancy Regional Commandant mentioned that tree planting is going on in Meru Central, North and South, Tharaka, Embu, Mbeere, Mwingi, Kitui, Machakos and Makueni. There are also over 500,000 tree seedlings distributed by the ministry of forestry to be planted in the different public facilities within Busia County.

Uganda safari news

Uganda is the only place where by in after every 30 kilometers, you will see a rare cultural feature and such features can only become useful through cultural tourism given the fact that Uganda’s culture is still native in nature compared to other countries around the globe. Walusimbi is also the man behind the Senator Cultural galas under the flagship of Uganda Breweries’ brand that is organized every year and has just launched their sixth edition not so long ago.

Uganda has got variety of Cultural dances from the different tribes that are with Uganda and each of these dances gives emphasis to all body parts something that makes it unique. When you comes to the people from the central region, they put more emphasis on the waist while those from the West emphasize the arms imitating their long horned cattle which is why the foreigner appreciate the dance  and it attracts so many of them from different parts of the world.  Walusimbi also mentioned that when the tourists come here, they expect to get something unique like the local cuisine and music.

Uganda safari news