The number of visitors to Uganda’s protected areas has greatly increased y 17.5%, and this is the highest increase ever since the Uganda Wildlife Authority was created about two decades ago. This was announced by Uganda Wildlife Authority’s marketing and research officer, Barbra Ameso.
According to Ameso, Uganda Safaris have experienced this rapid rise due to the hard-to find nature wonders which have continuously attracted very many tourists from different parts of the World. There is a magical feeling a visitor experiences while in this Pearl of Africa that keeps him/her feel more at home compared to when he/she is in other countries.
Basing on research, the number of game park visitors increased from 182,149 in 2013 to 213,949 in 2015 which amounts to 17.5%.The marketing and research officer, Barbra Ameso said that43% of the visitors were foreigners and the rest included both East Africans and Ugandans.
Of all the National Parks in Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park attracted the highest number of visitors and this was followed by Queen Elizabeth National Park. Though Kidepo Valley National Park has registered a rapid increase in the number of visitors, it came third after Murchison Falls National and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The least visited National Park according to research is Lake Mburo National Park. This park is still being developed into a suitable product for domestic tourism. The number of visitors to Lake Mburo National Park is to be increased with the support of Africa Wildlife Foundation and USAID.
Credit was given to the various tour operators who persuade people from different countries to visit this “Pearl of Africa”. Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) was setup in 1996 and it manages 10 national parks and 12 wildlife reserves which are located in different parts of Uganda.
Uganda is blessed with unmatched attractions like the rare mountain gorillas that keep on attracting more visitors. gorilla safaris in Uganda have greatly increased with very many tourists coming to look at the elegant primates. In Uganda, gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Another reason for the increased number of visitors is Uganda’s accolades that the country has been lavished with by travel magazines. Among these accolades, include the Lonely Planet which catapulted Uganda into a world spotlight. In 2013, Kidepo Valley National Park was listed among the top 10 parks in Africa by CNN and this has attracted many tourists to the park. Kidepo Valley National park is commonly known for having large herds of buffaloes and uninterrupted wide landscape. The park is surrounded by pastoralists, Kairimojongs, who have a rich culture that visitors can enjoy on their cultural safari.