Despite the Ebola virus outbreak, which the president claimed was only in a few regions but was also simple to avoid, President Museveni has reassured tourists that it is safe for everyone to travel to Uganda.
“I have been informed that tourists have been canceling their trips to Uganda and some have even postponed their bookings in hotels and lodges due to the Ebola outbreak. I would like to reassure the international community, tourists and conference organisers and the entire Ugandan population, that government has put in place measures to control the outbreak,” Museveni said on Tuesday evening during his address to the nation on Ebola.
The president acknowledged that the Ebola outbreak has forced many international conferences and events to be postponed and relocated to other nations, allaying organisers’ concerns by reassuring them that Uganda is safe for them.
“The Ebola outbreak is localised to only 6 out of the 146 districts. Uganda remains safe and we welcome international guests. Government is doing all it takes to control this epidemic and avoid exportation outside Uganda.”
According to Museveni, the immigration authorities have been given a list of all Ebola contacts in order to prevent people from traveling internationally. However, there is also screening for the virus at the airport and land border points of entry for temperature, symptoms, and past contacts.
Despite the virus being verified in six districts across the nation, the president stated that if tourists and other members of the public follow the regulations put in place by the government to stop the spread, they may easily avoid contracting the illness.
“Ebola is easy to manage if all people cooperate and follow guidance of the health workers. Ebola is spread by contaminated clothing, beddings, surfaces, and body fluids such as saliva, vomitus, sweat, stool, blood and semen of sick people. The main entry points are the mouth, eyes and broken skin especially of the hands. This is why it is important to always wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol based sanitiser or chlorine solution.”
Uganda has positioned itself as the finest location for international conferences as well as other tourists to the Pearl of Africa’s tourist attractions in an effort to expand her visitor count.
“In the past Uganda has been hosting many international conferences where delegates fly into the country but leave without spending anything here because they are transported by the organisers from the airport and hotels booked for them,” Bradford Ochieng, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for UTB said last year.
All government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies would be required by UTB to submit a list of conferences that they would like to either host or attend outside of the nation through the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) in order to allow for planning and preparation on how to market Uganda as a top tourist destination.
UTB wants to take advantage of the Uganda Airlines’ revival to give visitors to Uganda easy access to direct flights to Entebbe.
The nation known as the Pearl of Africa markets itself as one that offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime experience through the Explore Uganda brand.
The goal of this is to promote Uganda’s unique and priceless array of tourist attractions to the rest of the world.
“The Pearl of Africa’ is simply an invitation to the world, to rediscover the beauty of the Pearl. We are asking those who visit our country to immerse themselves in its unique experiences and attractions hence our call to ‘Explore Uganda,” UTB CEO Lillya Ajarova said recently.
Uganda is home to some of the world’s most distinctive natural, cultural, and historical sites. For instance, Uganda is home to 54% of the world’s mountain gorillas. The Big Two, mountain gorillas, and chimpanzees are tracked and accustomed to by tourists in addition to the Big Five, which include the lion, leopard, giraffe, elephant, and giraffe.
Ugandans are renowned throughout the world for being the friendliest people and possessing a rich cultural heritage with more than 50 tribes. For those looking for excitement, the area provides activities like water rafting, bungee jumping, mountaineering, and nature walks. For ardent bird watchers, Uganda is home to 1,090 bird species, which is 50% of all the bird species in Africa.