Can the Eclipse Happening on 3rd November Increase Uganda Domestic Tourism

In the year 1907, Winston Churchill baptised this place Uganda the “Pearl of Africa” –he believed Uganda was the best place in Africa, and rightly so. After 105 years, one of the world’s leading travel magazines Lonely Planet confirmed what the pioneering British tourist saw decades ago by declaring Uganda as the world’s Best Tourist Destination for 2012.
It is not that Ugandans don’t love this beautiful country but it is rather disappointing that we haven’t made the most of the spotlight given to us by Lonely Planet (BBC Travel), National Geographic, New York Times and several other reputable tourist magazines.
It is even more puzzling to imagine the small numbers of Ugandans who tour this God-given treasure trove – a destination regarded by many outsiders as a must-go.

Here comes a special event happening here on 3rd November 2013. The total eclipse has ever happened on earth. Even to our folklore tells us there are songs sang that at one time the village got astonished by seeing darkness at noon. By then there was no science to prove what was happening . This took the area by storm. Everybody started running for dear life thinking that was the end of the world! As this phenomenon takes few minutes if not hours, eventually while many people were still running for their dear life to reach their homes even forgetting their children at gardening points and abandoning their domestic animals , light started coming back hence the end of the eclipse.
I grew up hearing this song being sung . As I come to terms now I realize that this was total eclipse that took place coming to happen on 3rd of November 2013 in northern Uganda near Murchison Falls national park famous for Uganda safaris and tours. Do not ask me when it last happened here in Uganda. But at least by the folklore songs in Rukiga/ Runyankole indicates that this has ever happened here.
For the current generation this should not be taken as surprise and go without being seen and witnessed so that you can tell the next generation to come what happened. Ugandans at this time should come out and rush to Murchison falls to watch this event. Ugandans are not holiday makers but know how to celebrate some events. Thus science has come out today to tell us clearly what is going to happen in the near future , 1 month left.
Can Ugandans embrace this event and even use this chance to visit one of the famous national parks in their country Uganda? This will promote much awareness to citizens to know what is available in their back yard not leaving outsiders only to come and enjoy what God gave us. This will promote domestic tourism in Uganda and encourage Ugandans to take Uganda safaris to different parts of the country.
Last year, the ratio of Ugandans going to Kenya for holiday compared to those who travelled within was around 8:1 – most of them went to Mombasa. In fact, Kenya received more tourists from Uganda than any other African country. This is simply because most African countries are now committing so much effort and budgetary allocations to promoting domestic tourism and the response is positive.
Making the locals understand the beauty of this country and grow a sense of adventure is proving to be a tall order for the people responsible for marketing this country.
When Ugandans go out they find it hard to talk about the attractive places in their country – because they hardly know any. When a Ugandan gets a visitor from abroad and they ask where they can have fun they always suggest a nightclub.
Uganda Tourism Board has tried on a small budget to market tourism but they haven’t been loud enough to remind Ugandans to be tourists in their own country. Consequently, would be domestic tourists are not aware of the sheer beauty of this motherland, the fascinating wildlife, her rich culture and heritage, the fantastic weather, and the warmth and hospitality of fellow Ugandans.
A couple of impediments facing domestic tourism including poor marketing of Uganda as a destination; high travel rates, low awareness of the potential of tourism as a viable economic sector, poor infrastructure, inadequate funding from government and lack of skilled manpower.
Tour operators focus a lot on foreigners but we need to find a way of encouraging domestic tourism by making it affordable for the local people to get attracted to taking domestic holidays
Apparently, domestic tourism is growing steadily, done by School children, corporates and families travel but maybe the mass culture of travelling is what is missing in Ugandans tours. Uganda deserves the spotlight as each and every hamlet, village, trading centre, town, district or region here has one unique tourism plant or facility, whose potential is crying for exploration and development, which has the potential to ensure an even development of the country and above all to stop the rural-urban drift, in search of non-existing white collar jobs.
Tourism is the only area that brings in foreign exchange earning without export and Uganda’s opportunity to use tourism as a major pillar for its economic growth is realistic. Globally, tourism today, is the second largest industry, which employs the most people and it is still growing. It is the major foreign exchange earner of more than 60 countries.
In Uganda, tourism as a tool for poverty alleviation is not in doubt. What is in doubt is the understanding of the industry because not much by way of education as to what it is and is not is brought home to the Ugandan society.
By Fred Bukenya