UWA had sighted eight sites for development in different parks such as Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth and Semuliki National Parks. The developments would include redeveloping of the Katurum Lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park in northern Uganda, putting up a high end lodge at the Sempaya Hot Springs in Semuliki National Park, south western Uganda which would comprise of a hot spar using hot water from the hot springs and developing a luxury eco-lodge at the foot of Rwenzori Mountains National Park in western Uganda. Others would include development of a luxury lodge and a mid range lodge to cater for the mid range visitors category both in Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda, an eco-lodge on Kigarama Hills in Lake Mburo National Park, western Uganda and development of a luxury lodge in Murchison Falls National Park

These celebrations will take place at the source of the River Nile in Jinja. He added by saying that having Jinja as the venue for the event is not a mistake being that historically the Source of the Nile has been a major tourist attraction though struggled to attract tourists. This event will promote domestic tourism in general and marine tourism in particular.

Anthax, an epdemic has hit Uganda’s famous national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park. According to the latest from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), at least 27 hippos have been reported dead of a suspected anthrax outbreak in Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the most renowned national park for wildlife safaris in Uganda.  The disease is caused by a group of bacteria, the Bacillus anthracis. These bacteria besides being able to multiply several fold to reproduce new individuals in short periods of time, also take on inactive and resistant forms often referred to as spores. In the spore form, the bacteria can survive for decades, waiting for the right conditions and opportunity to return under various conditions such as digging up and exposing previously intact land and soil erosion.

UWA in collaboration with Government and other stakeholders have, in the past outbreaks, combined several control and preventative measures to deal with the disease. Besides the mass vaccinations of livestock in the area, they have immediately buried and sometimes burnt the carcasses, quarantined the affected areas and controlled the slaughter of animals.

Queen Elizabeth National Park which is found in the western part of the country, is famous for its big game viewing safaris. The park inhabits over 100 mammalian species, 606 bird species, and herds of elephants, hippos, and hog. Apart from wildlife safaris, this park is also a haven for birders.

Murchison Falls is another  impressive park in Uganda. Bisected by the Mighty River Nile, this park is one of the most scenic and beautiful place in Africa with a rare scenery of the Mighty Murchison Fall,  the most influential surges of water body.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to approximately 340 mountain gorillas and inhabits 4 different gorilla groups for trekking such as Nkuringo group with 19 gorillas and 2 silverbacks, Rushegura with 10 gorillas and 1 silverback, Mubare with 16 gorillas and 1 silverback and Habinyanja with 23 gorillas and 2 silver backs.  Renowned for gorilla tours, this park is also attractive to birders and nature lovers. Other notable animal species including the Colubus monkey, chimpanzee, elephant, antelope species: bushbuck and forest duiker, buffalo, golden cat, civet, bush pig, giant forest hog, black-fronted duiker, clawless otter, genet and many species of bats and rodents.

The Uganda Museum is the largest museum of the country sited on Old Kampala Hill. The different sections of museum show various value information the Archaeology section, music section, Independence pavilion section, Ethnography and many. Travelers interested in learning about Uganda’s past history and culture always do not miss out visiting the museum.

The Lake Bunyonyi is the earnest cavern lake at a height of 1 840 m with numerous small islands. It is particularly home to various water birds. The spot offer a very charming picnic site.

Makerere University of Kampala is one of the biggest universities of Africa. The university’s library has a great collection, and most key specialized collections. Students, from all over Africa, book flights to Uganda to acquire higher technical education from the university.

Moses Mapes, UWA boss said that access to the peak has been blocked thus depicting global warming. It is caused by gases such as carbon-dioxide from industrial processes, which trap the heat escaping from the earth surface. He urged people to minimise activities that affect the eco-system around the mountain, lest more disasters occur.

John Hunwick, the director of Rwenzori Trekking Services said that the glaciers have been melting rapidly during the last four years thus the country losing a tourism treasure because it is unique to have ice on the equator. According to Guma, UWA has dispatched a team to the mountain to ascertain the extent of damage on the route to Margherita. He also said options of re-routing to the peak would be considered.

The Queen Elizabeth Park in western Uganda has a total ares of 2,000 sq m, Murchison Falls, which lies in Gulu and Masindi, has a total area of 3840 sq km, while Kidepo in Karamoja is 1442 sq km wide.

It has been noted that The Madhvani Group is the biggest concessionaire with a hotel in Queen Elizabeth National Park and 2 in Murchison Falls National Park. Others are Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, while Paraa Safari Lodge, Sambiya Lodge and Sambiya River Banda, Red Chilli Rest Camp, and Chobe Lodge, which are expected to be operational next month, are in Murchison Falls. All other providers are situated outside the parks due to the exclusive rights agreement.

The Serena Group of Hotels, which owns 2 hotels, one in the city centre and another at the shores of Lake Victoria in Kigo, wants to set up another in Murchison, according to Kigozi.

The minister said that Uganda will use the expo to market its tourism potential to the rest of the world.  He said that Uganda can earn billions of dollars annually if it markets its tourism potential well to European countries.

The trip budgeted at sh23m was co-sponsored by USAID-STAR and Power FM. Over 200 people participated in the competition. The winners were Prudence Sekoma, a front desk manager at Crested Towers, Oliver Kasita, an IT student at Makerere University, Nicholas Owori, also a student at Makerere, Allan Mugisha and Angel Semakula. They left the following day for a 4 days trip to Lake Mburo, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth National Parks.

He said that it is too early to say when they will be able to accept human presence and plans to establish this in the next few months. Bikingi is the 8th group to be habituated out of the 34 found in Bwindi Forest in 20 years. Lately, Nsongi, another gorilla group in the southern part of Bwindi, was habituated. Bitukura, Mubare, Habinyanja, Nkuringo, Rushegura and Kyaguriro are the other habituated groups.

Mwandha said after Bikingi, no more gorillas will be habituated until 2012. More than half the 760 gorillas in the world are found in Bwindi. Gorilla tracking contributes between 40% and 50% of the tourism revenue.

“We are aware that Spain is a big tourism market. We want to win over their tour agencies as well as show Spaniards Uganda’s unique tourism sites”, said the UTB marketing and public relations manager, Mr Edwin Muzahura. UTB has also booked a press meeting where they will brief the Spanish media about the tourism industry in Uganda and Mr Serapio Rukundo will address this press meeting.