Uganda’s Irresistible Beauty – Cherished Beyond Borders

Uganda is beautiful and richly endowed. If you have not made a trip to this beautiful East African country then you cannot understand what ‘the Pearl of Africa’ really is. Interestingly, though, some people who have embarked on a Uganda Safari from across the borders, and beyond, appreciate the potential of Uganda as a tourist destination.

And the recent Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) was proof of this as the Ugandan stand was frequently visited by tour operators and visitors who kept on inquiring about the many categories and packages on a Safari to Uganda, the country boasts of some of the most beautiful and adventurous parks in Africa like Murchison Falls National Park in the North Eastern side of the country and one of the world’s least explored park, Kidepo Valley National Park in the Karamoja region.

At this very festival the Ugandan marketers showcased what the country has to offer by approaching hosted buyers and visitors wearing Gorilla and chimpanzee costumes as they handed out fliers and at the same time giving verbal information about the various tourism products to look out for in Uganda. The tour operators, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) staff at the Expo were seen dressed in black, yellow and red, the very colors of the Ugandan national flag and this also did differentiate the Ugandan group from the many exhibitors present here.

This year’s edition of the Travel Expo in Kenya pulled together close to 200 exhibitors. And the Uganda flag was seen hoisted high up, visible to everyone visiting the Expo and the Ugandan tour operators capitalised on the visibility. Although Uganda is still a new destination to many overseas agents, those who took an effort to visit the Ugandan stand saw that this country is promising as a prime African safari tourist stop.

Marketing Uganda, Rwanda Kenya

This Expo was put in place to market East African destinations, attending the Expo is realistically cheaper than travelling to different countries to meet with buyers. And to this regard an agreement was signed ‘The Tripartite Agreement’ and this is intended to market Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda as a single tourist destination, the Magical Kenya Travel Expo was selected as the signature tourism event for Kenya, while Rwanda selected Kwiti Izina (Gorilla naming ceremony) and Uganda picked Martyrs Day. And it is binding for each partner country to attend all these signature events.

Most importantly, the introduction of the single tourist visa has made these three destinations more accessible and affordable to tourists. Though Kenya is also seen to be a big source market in the region for Uganda as the country receives many tourists from Kenya annually, many of whom are looking for Gorilla tracking safaris that are only available in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.