Invest In Bird Tourism (UTA)
By Damba Rogers
The government has been challenged to invest more in birding tourism as a way of reducing unemployment among the youths as well as increase government revenue.
Uganda has joined the world to commemorate the annual International Birding Day.
Herbert Byaruhanga the Vice President of Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) told the press at Uganda Museum that Birding is now one of the major elements of Uganda’s growing tourism industry so if well exploited, it has the potential to earn Uganda more than Shs40 trillion.
Byaruhanga adds many young people in Uganda are unemployed and there is a need for them to create their own jobs to have a better living and future so if they train in birding they will not suffer looking for jobs because they will create their own jobs and earn.
He has disclosed that Birding is one of the top tourism products Uganda has and have 1,067 birds, which is 50% of the birds in Africa and 10% of the global population but the industry has no equipment such as Binoculars, books to be used by both birders and tourists, infrastructures are poor which all makes it difficult for birders in Uganda.
Of late tourism has been the greatest contributor to the country’s GDP with over 60% of foreign tourists visiting different tourism sites in Uganda throughout the year.
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