Market Tourism in Uganda

Tourism is an industry which cuts across very many sectors which among others include banking, hotel restaurant business, lodging tour and travel operations; nature conservations taking the form of parks, game reserves, wildlife education centers, zoos and sanctuaries.
In Uganda’s context, the trends in tourist sector over the years and the current choice of destination with in the nation. During the relatively stable period from independence in 1962 to 1971, the country experienced a remarkable 34% annual growth rate.

The year 1970 recorded the highest earnings of Ush 32.2 million whilst 1971 recorded the highest number of tourist arrival totaling 85,000 people. At that time, average per capita spending was US $ 23057 and it was Uganda’s 3rd largest foreign exchange earner after coffee and cotton.

Owing to the political turn out and economic instability that characterize the period 1972-1978, the sector registered a 13.8% decline per annum with the lowest earnings of Ush 7.2 million being registered in 1977.

Relatively stable conditions being restored between 1980 and1996, the industry’s growth rate and earnings have improved. The tourism sector plan (1993) had projected that tourism would grow at a rate of 13% per annum, but it has recovered at 53% annual growth rate in 1996.
Compared to the 1980 when only US$1 million was earned, the 1995 earnings had reached a level of US $ 90 million. If the current growth rate of 53% per annum is maintained in the short medium term, the number of tourist arrivals will likely increase to over 800,000 by the end of the year 2010 from the present level. Currently tourism contributes 5% to GDP.

Tourism is significant in terms of employment where the sector offers jobs to about 10,000 people of whom 8,000 are in accommodation establishment, 1,000 in tour operation / car rental companies and the balance in Restaurants comprise and other tourism facilities.
Due to the matter of fact that the consumer searches for product tourism is beneficial in reducing regional disequilibrium in wealth, provisional of social amenities like the roads, water, schools, health centres among others.