Uganda and Rwanda in joint tourism marketing

The relationship between Uganda and Rwanda does not end with sharing boarders but it goes beyond this in various aspects. One of the new achievement these East African country have managed to come up with is a marketing their tourism together as a single destination. This was reached on by delegates from both countries who met in Kampala last week to forge a way forward for the region’s tourism industry.

Uganda and Rwanda are one of the leading tourism destinations in Africa and these two have a lot in common when it comes to adventure. One of the leading attractions that these two have are the rare mountain gorillas and gorilla tracking acts as the leading tourism export for both countries. It is on record that this adventurous activity attracts people from different parts of the world to come and look at the gorillas in their natural habitats. In Uganda, these great apes are found in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks while as in Rwanda, they are found in Volcanoes National Park. These places are always crowded with very many trackers from different countries especially during the peak season when gorilla tracking in Uganda and Rwanda booms. Though Rwanda’s gorilla tracking permits are relatively more expensive compared to those of Uganda, both countries receive almost the same number of trackers in a year. The adventure one enjoys while on a Rwanda gorilla tracking safari is a lifetime experience full of wonders which leave someone wanting to go back for another trip.

Some of the other tourism activities both countries offer include;-chimpanzee tracking, cultural safaris, nature walks, wildlife viewing, bird watching, city tours and more others. These according to the delegates can help to transform the industries of both countries if jointly marketed to the rest of the world. In order, to benefit from this new movement, the delegates suggested a “no-border” policy should be embraced so that tourists find it easier to transfer from Uganda to Rwanda and vise versa. They went ahead and assured both governments that once they support this joint tourism marketing, they will benefit a lot through increased revenues from the sector.