National Geographic Names Uganda Among Top Destinations
Uganda is indeed Gifted by Nature! This small country has been named among the top destinations to visit in 2012 thanks to its incredible natural scenery and a rich mosaic of tribes and cultures. Traveling through Uganda you will be captivated by its beauty, overwhelmed by the friendliness of its people and intrigued by all that Uganda has to offer. Recently the Lonely Planet listed Uganda among the top 20 destinations to visit in 2012. This year, the National Geographic has also acclaimed Uganda as one of the top 20 destinations to visit in 2016!
About Uganda
Ecologically, Uganda is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle. Besides its where one can observe lions prowling the open plains in the morning and track chimpanzees through the rain forest undergrowth the same afternoon, then the next day navigate tropical channels teeming with hippos and crocodiles before setting off into the misty mountains to visit the majestic mountain gorillas? Uganda is the only safari destination whose range of forest primates is as impressive as its selection of plain antelopes. Uganda is also blessed with a vast bird population of more than 1000 species.
According to the National Geographic an international travel channel affiliated to the National Geographic Society, Uganda is among the top 20 global tourism destinations in the year 2013 unlike the lonely planet, which named Uganda as the best travel destination for 2012, National Geographic listed Uganda among the top “new year’s 20 must-see places.”
“The pride of Uganda’s tourism lies in the undisturbed green nature that welcomes you the moment you land in Uganda whether by air, water, land or any means of transportation,” stated the National Geographic.” Getting out of the city will be a rewarding experience with a variety of bird species, wildlife, and the rare mountain gorillas that have been ‘a hot cake’ to Uganda.”
Abiaz Rwamwiri, a tourism expert with Africa Wildlife Foundation said, “We have a lot of potential we are not tapping into and this is what the recommendation by the National Geographic is telling Ugandans.” He also a explained that Uganda has got a beautiful scenery, unique wildlife such as the Mountain gorillas and easy to visit or stay because of the hospitality of the people.” He added, “We have got much more because there is even Kidepo National Park, which is a unique destination, but is still undiscovered by tourists.” A lot is known about Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Park, according to Rwamwiri, but Kidepo is unique and truly wild yet not many tourist visit northern Uganda. He said this was going to improve with the implementation a new programme funded by USAID and Africa Wildlife Foundation.
Also Lillian Nsubuga, the Public Relations Manager of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said Uganda’s tourism industry is gaining visibility, but aggressive marketing is needed.” As UWA there has been a big campaign to participate in the international world travel market. So, many people know about Uganda, but we need more aggressiveness,” said Nsubuga adding that marketing efforts undertaken by private sector should be harmonized with Government initiatives.