Martin Mugarra Bahinduka the minister of state for Tourism visited Queen Elizabeth National Park with hundreds of local tourists during a five-day Explore West campaign that started on the 12th to 16th of April 2023.
While on a boat cruise on Kazinga channel, Mugarra said that it was the “best experience ever” following the one he had at Murchison Falls National Park.
“I have had the best experience, it’s not the first time am doing this but I can do it again and again because every time we come here something new comes up so it’s a beautiful experience,” he said.
He also remarked that the experiences in Murchison falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park are different since Murchison is on the source of the river Nile where water is flowing faster and Queen is on a channel although the animals might look the same.
Mugarra together with the group proceeded on a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park viewing different wild animals including lions, buffaloes, kobs, and elephants among others.
The minister also noted that Ugandans need to engage in the local tourism industry in as service providers or tourists which I turn will generate revenue for the country.
“Many tourists travel from abroad to experience our wildlife why not we the Ugandans yet even the prices are fair compared to what is charged from international visitors,” he remarked.
The campaign involves a number of journalists, celebrity influencers including Comedians Patrick Salvador, Mad Rat and Chiko, Kick Boxer Moses Golola among others aimed at creating awareness of the various potentially untapped prized tourism sites and attractions strewn across the western countryside and neighbouring places as part of the synergies to encourage domestic tourism in Uganda.
The explore west is also a strategy for tourism recovery post-Covid-19 and the Ebola epidemic, among other catastrophes that affected the Country’s tourism industry.
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