The Minister of State for Tourism, Martin Mugarra, has called on the Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, and the National Unity Platform (NUP) to promote Uganda’s natural beauty and positive aspects, rather than focusing solely on negative narratives.
Mugarra’s remarks came as he thanked Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa for showcasing Uganda’s attractions to international visitors.
On 30th July 2024, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa led a group of tourists from Portugal and the Maldives on a gorilla tracking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park’s Ruhija Sector.
Reflecting on this initiative, Mugarra expressed his desire for the opposition to join in spreading positive messages about the country.
“I would be happy to see the Leader of Opposition and the entire NUP team, for once, going out there and putting out a beautiful message about Uganda, not only the bad,” Mugarra stated.
Tayebwa urged all Members of Parliament, including those from the opposition, to play a role in promoting Uganda’s tourism potential, despite differing political views. He questioned why some MPs choose to tour abroad when Uganda offers unparalleled natural wonders.
However, the Deputy Speaker also highlighted challenges faced by tourists in Uganda, such as inadequate infrastructure, including roads and telecommunication networks. He noted that these issues hinder tourists’ experiences, especially when sharing their visits in real-time.
“The tourists had issues, especially with the telecom network. These people want the moment they take a picture, they share instantly. So, do we have a network in the national parks before the excitement goes away? Then the roads a road of 23Km from Rubanda to Ruhija, it took me 2 hours. I can see the communities are trying to protect these parks, but when you look at the money we are getting, because we charge these people US$800 (Shs2,965,632) to come and watch gorillas for 1 hour. So many of them are like, I take a long journey from Entebbe, then I add on a bad road,” Tayebwa added.
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