Ugandan Parliament Approves New Tourism Law
The Ugandan Parliament approved a new tourism law, which is seen by the tourism industry observers as an important breakthrough following years of waiting for the to be passed.
The new law is hoped to overhaul the country’s tourism industry and promote the tourism sector’s security and standards among others. The Uganda Tourism Bill 2007 was passed by an undivided vote by Parliament on Tuesday February 19 after a short debate.
The state minister for tourism Mr. Sarapio Rukundo told the Parliament that when the law comes into power, it will help reform, consolidate and streamline the laws related to tourism and provide for licensing, regulating and control of the sector.
The new tourism act brought together three laws in a major reform aimed at boosting and developing the tourism industry in the country, says the minister. The previous laws amalgamated into the new Act include the hotels laws, the tourists’ agents licensing law, and the Uganda tourism board.These laws are geared towards improving Uganda’s hotel sector, tour operation businesses as well as the tourism industry itself which is gaining prominence from gorilla tourism.
According to the Parliament committee on tourism, trade and industry chairman, Mr. Pereza Ahabwe the major reforms in the new law includes the introduction of a tourism development tax and tourism development fund. He said the tax would be obligatory on both the visitors making trips to Uganda and operators while the development fund will be established by the ministry and other sources yet to be identified by the ministry of tourism to further develop the sector.
These two are going to boost the sector in form of promoting it, gazetting areas for tourism sites and undertake educational programmes. Ways of monitoring tourism standards, registration, licensing and classifying of tourist facilities and services in Uganda’s national parks as well as major tourism destinations, among others have all been streamlined in the new law.
The commissioner for tourism Ms. Grace Mbabazi Aulo said that the money got from the tourism development tax would be used for training, research and tourism promotion. She said that government is yet to make a master plan on how these funds would be well utilized in revamping the tourism industry.
The new law makes it an offense to operate an accommodation facility for tourists without a license. The major introduction in the law is because some unscrupulous agents were taking tourists to low standard indecent guest houses causing embarrassment to the country.