As Uganda prepares to join the rest of the world in celebrating world wildlife day on March 3 this year, government has opened strong ties with an Australian national with the main objective of unlocking Uganda’s tourism potential both in Australia and all over the world.
Speaking at the launch of the “Unlocking Uganda’s tourism potential” campaign at Uganda Media Centre Thursday morning, Tourism Minister Prof Ephraim Kamuntu unveiled Jo Wigg an Australian based philanthropist and Executive Director Australia-Uganda Natural Resources Initiative as the country’s tourism ambassador and applauded the new working relationship promising Ugandans an increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Tourism is not just leisure but a business. This working relationship will help our country to be marketed in Australia and in turn get more tourists thus more income and job creation,” Said Prof Kamuntu.
According to Jo Wigg, Uganda has a lot of tourism potential but it is simply locked up and needs a key to open it so that everyone around the world gets to know how beautiful Uganda is endowed with nature and wildlife.
“My main target will be to bring as many people as I can especially professionals in Education and Health. Those that I have always come with for the past five years usually end up enjoying Uganda’s tourism potential and this is the trend in want to maintain,” Jo Wigg said.
She has over the years supported Uganda’s projects including Buhoma community (Batwa communities), Bwindi community hospital, Ride for a woman, Bishop’s primary school and St Andrew’s church in Kanungu and Adolescent Development Support Network (ADSN), EDC safe water, filters, tanks and plumbing in Jinja.
She vowed to make Uganda recognized as the number one destination worldwide and to grow the country’s business through convincing investors to come to Uganda because of its tourism and business potential.
Jo wigg promised to share Uganda’s secret in Australia and create a platform for international travel to increase the number of tourists coming to visit the country.
Speaking at the same event, Tourism state minister Hon Godfrey Kiwanda Ssubi appreciated the new partnership and called upon Ugandans to conserve and protect the country’s wildlife and nature.
“Uganda is among the top ten biodiversity rich areas of the world with the highest population of mountain Gorillas, 11% of bird species all over the world, 50% of African bird species and culturally endowed” Kiwanda said.
Kiwanda called upon Ugandans to participate in the activities lined up to celebrate the world wildlife day at the National Museum under the theme: “Mainstreaming the youth in wild life conservation.”
According to Kiwanda, the youth are targeted in this year’s celebrations because of their numerical significance adding that they are the pillars of Uganda’s current and future development.
He said that it is the same reason Hon Florence Nakiwala, the minister for children and youth was invited to preside over the marathon slated for 26th February that will kick start the world wildlife day celebrations.
Other activities include; a public lecture on March 1 at Hotel Africana which will be delivered by Prof Lawrence Mugisha a Makerere University don. This will be followed by a discussion at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre to showcase Uganda’s tourism journey, and a match starting at 7am from the Independence Monument to the National Museum where the main celebrations will take place with President Museveni as the chief guest.
