One Christmas, when I was about three years old, we went to Hunter’s Lodge in Tsavo National Park. I had been a particularly bad little girl and my parents told me that they weren’t sure that Santa was even going to come that year.
When it came time to go to bed, we discovered that we had forgotten the stocking. Horrors! Not that! Now Santa definitely wasn’t going to come.
Dad came to the rescue and offered up one of his socks. I went to sleep incredulous but hopeful.
Christmas morning came and … Santa had come! All I remember about what he brought was a miniature refrigerator, complete with miniature eggs. Dad would swallow one and miraculously find it behind my ear.
So, why am I reminiscing about an event that happened more than 30 years ago?
In part, to wish those of you who celebrate Christmas a wonderful and merry holiday.
But mostly, because I read this story in eTN: “Uganda welcomes tourism boom over Christmas.”
Apparently, Uganda experienced a 30 percent increase in visitors compared to 2005, according to a published report from Uganda Travel Guide. “The record number of tourists traveling into Uganda this Christmas season is overwhelmingly high,” reported Uganda Travel Guide (UTG), “evidenced by the fully booked flights and sold out hotel rooms in Uganda.”
Mweya and Paraa safari lodges sold out almost a month ago, according to Madhvani group tourism director Mani Khan. He told UTG that this is a peak season compared to last year because the bookings were made in advance. The majority of these tourists, unlike previous years, are from the UK, US, Netherlands and Germany.
“An increase in tourist arrivals is attributed to a combination of factors,” said UTG, “including the improved hotel facilities/services, improved security, efforts to boost Uganda’s image abroad, engagement of public relations agencies, as well as the committed and qualified staff in the hospitality sector.”
Tourism Minister Serapio Rukundo credits the prevailing political stability for the increase. “Our cities are much safer compared to Kenya and South Africa,” he told reporters.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Peace through Tourism Promoted in East Africa
The 4th International Institute of Peace through Tourism (IIPT) African Conference Coming to Uganda in May
Kampala, Uganda, will host the fourth International Institute of Peace through Tourism (IIPT) African Conference May 20-25, 2007.
"We anticipate that this will be our most important and successful African conference to date,” said Louis D’Amore, IIPT Founder and President. "We have spent the past year fostering relationships in support of the conference with the aim of not only debating its theme and goals – but to building partnerships that will act on them."
The theme of the conference is "Building Strategic Alliances for Sustainable Tourism Development, Peace and Reconciliation on the African Continent." Among the many goals of the conference is increasing public and government awareness of the role tourism plays in preserving the biodiversity of the African Continent.
According to the IIPT newsletter, the Conference will bring together senior African executives from both the public and private sectors of tourism, as well as NGOs, donor agencies, educators, policy makers, leading practitioners, entrepreneurs, future leaders of the industry, and senior representatives of related sectors including environment, culture and economic development.
The conference will include plenary sessions, workshops, an Educators Forum, a Youth Leadership Forum and a Traditional Leaders Forum, as well as pre-conference training workshops on selected topics.
For more information about the conference, visit iipt.org.
Kampala, Uganda, will host the fourth International Institute of Peace through Tourism (IIPT) African Conference May 20-25, 2007.
"We anticipate that this will be our most important and successful African conference to date,” said Louis D’Amore, IIPT Founder and President. "We have spent the past year fostering relationships in support of the conference with the aim of not only debating its theme and goals – but to building partnerships that will act on them."
The theme of the conference is "Building Strategic Alliances for Sustainable Tourism Development, Peace and Reconciliation on the African Continent." Among the many goals of the conference is increasing public and government awareness of the role tourism plays in preserving the biodiversity of the African Continent.
According to the IIPT newsletter, the Conference will bring together senior African executives from both the public and private sectors of tourism, as well as NGOs, donor agencies, educators, policy makers, leading practitioners, entrepreneurs, future leaders of the industry, and senior representatives of related sectors including environment, culture and economic development.
The conference will include plenary sessions, workshops, an Educators Forum, a Youth Leadership Forum and a Traditional Leaders Forum, as well as pre-conference training workshops on selected topics.
For more information about the conference, visit iipt.org.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Tanzania Creates Largest National Park in Africa
The land of Tanzania's Ruaha National Park and Usangu Game Reserve are going to be combined into one National Park.
"One of the aims of the government in annexing Usangu to Ruaha is in part to save the biodiversity of that area, as well as to increase tourism to the region," said Gerald Bigurube, Director General, Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). “This can best be accomplished if the area is administered and marketed by TANAPA”.
"Tanzania’s tourism strategy is to encourage high quality, low volume tourism," said Peter Mwenguo, Managing Director, Tanzania Tourist Board. "By increasing the number of national parks, we are able to create more diversity in the safari circuits and avoid mass tourism."
Ruaha has the largest population of elephants of any East African national park -- about 10,000 animals. Other creatures calling Ruaha home include impala, waterbuck and other antelopes, lions, cheetahs and more than 450 bird species. The park is bounded the East by the Great Ruaha River. The natural water reservoir for the river is the Ihefu Wetland, which is located in the Usangu Game Reserve.
"Tanzania is constantly working on upgrading its game reserves to National Parks," said Bigurube. "In a National Park there is no consumptive use of resources and this allows for the multiplicity of species, increasing the wildlife in the parks."
For more information about Ruaha National Park, visit www.tanzaniaparks.com/ruaha.htm.
"One of the aims of the government in annexing Usangu to Ruaha is in part to save the biodiversity of that area, as well as to increase tourism to the region," said Gerald Bigurube, Director General, Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). “This can best be accomplished if the area is administered and marketed by TANAPA”.
"Tanzania’s tourism strategy is to encourage high quality, low volume tourism," said Peter Mwenguo, Managing Director, Tanzania Tourist Board. "By increasing the number of national parks, we are able to create more diversity in the safari circuits and avoid mass tourism."
Ruaha has the largest population of elephants of any East African national park -- about 10,000 animals. Other creatures calling Ruaha home include impala, waterbuck and other antelopes, lions, cheetahs and more than 450 bird species. The park is bounded the East by the Great Ruaha River. The natural water reservoir for the river is the Ihefu Wetland, which is located in the Usangu Game Reserve.
"Tanzania is constantly working on upgrading its game reserves to National Parks," said Bigurube. "In a National Park there is no consumptive use of resources and this allows for the multiplicity of species, increasing the wildlife in the parks."
For more information about Ruaha National Park, visit www.tanzaniaparks.com/ruaha.htm.
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