The Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka has said the Government of Uganda is committed to developing various forms of infrastructure to streamline access to all regions of the country in a bid boost tourism.
Minister Mugarra made these remarks while closing the second edition of the Uganda-Kenya Coast conference in Kware County, Mombasa on Tuesday.
According to Minister Mugarra, the conference is a springboard for vital discussions between the two countries which can earn more from tourism through selling complementary tour packages. This, he said, will enable the two destinations to tap into each other’s pool of tourists.
“Uganda’s biggest tourism source market in the East African region is Kenya and likewise, Kenya’s biggest source market in the region is Uganda. I am glad that we are having these discussions to see how we can improve these numbers and do even better,” Minister Mugarra said.
He added, “To this end, I am glad to note that Uganda Airlines, which now flies the Uganda-Mombasa route thrice a week, is immensely contributing to tourist numbers recorded from and to the two countries. Tourism is about travel and access to and from destinations. As the government, we are committed to developing infrastructure to streamline transportation. This development also feeds other sections of the economy including but not limited to trade, agriculture and fisheries.”
During the conference, it was revealed that in 2022, 150,900 Ugandans travelled to Kenya while 367,249 Kenyans visited Uganda.
According to the Minister, these numbers can be further improved through exposing tourists to what the destinations have to offer as well as easing movement of people across the borders and within the countries.
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For Uganda in particular, Mugarra noted that President Museveni has given directives to expand existing aerodromes in the regions of the country and also seconded the establishment of an airport in Kidepo National Park, which borders South Sudan and Kenya.
“We are working on expand our aerodromes in the various regions of the country to ease access to the tourist attractions therein. The directive was given by His excellency the President (Yoweri Museveni) and before we came for this conference, last week, we had a discussion with a big-time investor (Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry) who will build an airport with a 3 and a half-kilometer runway in Kidepo National Park and 15 accommodation facilities. This will increase the traffic and ease access to Kidepo,” he said.
On Wednesday last week, State House issued a statement indicating the President had okayed the construction of an airport in Kidepo National Park with a caution to the investors to ensure the safety of the animals.
The construction of the airport, stakeholders are optimistic, will complement the existing Kidepo Airstrip located at Lomej.