Although tourism is one of the leading sectors in Uganda, contributing nearly 10 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, it’s funding is still low.
While giving his presentation on the performance of the Ministry of Tourism for the last three years during the NRM manifesto week Ephraim Kamuntu the minister for tourism said that the sector was facing low funding which has crippled their activities.
“The performance of the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Centre (UWEC) and training institutions is hampered by inadequate financing of the sector,” he said.
“Ever since 2016, 2017 and 2018, the budget allocation for the ministry has been 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and that limits what these institutions can achieve,” he added.
The minister however failed to state the exact amount he thinks his ministry needs to fulfill its objectives
“If am accounting to my bosses, I can only say that inadequate funding has been a challenge and how to deal with it, the forum can go through the cabinet but as per now I am just reporting that it has been a constrain,” he said.
Information from the Uganda Tourism Board indicates that tourism now contributes nearly 10 per cent to Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product. The sector raised at least USD1.45bn (UGX5.4 trillion) in 2017, making it the country’s largest foreign exchange earner. By 2020, this figure is expected to double toUGX10 trillion (USD2.4b)
Research that was conducted by World Travel and Tourism Council revealed that, Uganda generated UGX2, 592.9bn in visitor exports in 2016. And by 2027, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 2,486,000, generating expenditure of UGX6, 535.2bn, an increase of 7.4% annual. In March 2018, CNN ranked Uganda 5th best destination in the world.
