Uganda’s tourism sector has over the years registered great strides

Uganda’s tourism sector has over the years registered great strides. A study carried out by the Ministry of Tourism, the World Bank and the Department for International Development shows a progressive growth in which Uganda registered 946,000 tourists in 2010, and 1.1 million in 2011.

According to the Ministry of Tourism sector statistical abstract for 2014, the total arrivals and departures in the country have steadily increased from 2011 to 2013. However, the report notes that while tourist arrivals for 2013 increased to 1,206,334 from 1,196,765 in 2012, translating to an increment of 0.8 per cent, this is a slow growth compared to 4 per cent growth between 2011 and 2012.
Given Uganda’s vast tourism potential, this trend reveals a need for improvement, especially in terms of strategic planning and investment. It is equally crucial to widen the scope of tourist attractions from the conventional sites to include more cultural and religious locations.

That is why we applaud Ssese Islands Tourism Development Association (SITDA) for teaming up with Uganda Tourism Board to market Mapeera Church located at Bugoma Landing Site in Kalangala District as a tourist site. This place is significant in Uganda’s history because it is where two pioneer Catholic missionaries, Lourdel Mapeera and Brother Amans Delmas, first docked. 
While SITDA is promoting Mapeera Church as a crucial contributor to the development of Uganda’s tourism sector, the church is also an important spot for the remembrance of the two pioneer missionaries to enter Uganda. This development should compel other regional/district tourism development associations to work with the Uganda Tourism Board to identify, develop and promote similar sites.

There are several religious sites that have tremendous tourism potential if developed and promoted. One such site is Indriani, the second Catholic parish in West Nile where the Comboni Missionaries arrived in 1912 and set up a mission station near the River Nile in present-day Adjumani District. Custodians of the Uganda Martyrs Shrine, a major tourist destination in Uganda, can play a key role in working with parishes countrywide to promote other religious sites.

Uganda has earned several accolades as an ideal tourist destination in the last few years. In 2012, Lonely Planet listed Uganda as the best country to visit, and the National Geographic named it one of the best travel destinations in the world. We should use such accolades to promote more local attractions such as religious sites. 
This, of course, requires robust investment in infrastructure development, especially efficient transport system to ease travel for local and international tourists. With more commitment and planning, the tourism sector will play an instrumental role in Uganda’s development.