Uganda’s Tourism Recovery Plan Post Covid-19
Uganda’s Tourism Recovery Plan Post Covid-19 is very significant now in overcoming the impacts of this pandemic. For all of us in the Uganda tourism industry, the last few months have been a brutal test of courage, resourcefulness, endurance, and overall business survival.
While much remains uncertain in Uganda’s tourism industry today, we further believe that the deeply human desire to learn and explore means travel will endure. We know we cannot solve all the issues we are all facing but our experts today sat down and want to try to give our tourism technocrats and strategist support in helping our tourism industry and privately led tourism businesses (mainly the Tour operators Hotel owners) to help their businesses in the months ahead as we emerge from this crisis battered and bruised, but stronger, and together.
Here are some of the broad ideas that we recommend to industry leaders with a mandate to plan, market, shape and promote destination Uganda including Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Tourism Association, Uganda Hotel Owners Association, Association of Uganda Tour Operators, and Uganda Wildlife Authority among others.
These include:-
1. Creation of a Tourism Economic Recovery Fund.
Unless tourism government parastatals lobby government funds with subsequent guidelines on how private tourism businesses can access recovery funds to fuel their new business plan and manage how to keep employees as well as to create new jobs using the fund allocated in the recovery process. Hotel Refinancing windows can be created for hotel and Tour operators refinancing window
2. Consideration of NEW source markets.
Looking at our previous tourism trade show calendar that Uganda Tourism Board has pitched camp for the last years or so, the need for changes is ideal. We won’t mention these shows here but industry leaders know them and they have proved no valuable addition to Uganda’s tourism industry.
3. Guarantee Credit Window from Private Financial Institutions.
As you all know the government cannot have enough money to put into the overall economic recovery plan besides tourism. It would be therefore wise if Tourism authorities can lobby and provide guarantees to the different private financial institutions to extend credit to tourism players in Uganda. Tourism business owners can access funds or working capital on a tenor of up to 5 years with a 1-year grace period as travel awaits proper recovery. On an interest rate not exceeding 5%.
4. Contracting Strong International PR firms & Sales Marketing Representative.
Good results will definitely come out of good and strong international public relations firms and through great marketing representatives. Vuvuzela marketing is now what Uganda needs in the right source markets. A great sales and marketing plan will be developed by these firms thus the dominance of Uganda in the source market. Travel influencers can be complimented in this strategy especially those with a large following all over the world.
5. Tourism Product diversification.
While most tourists to Uganda are understandably driven by the desire to have a face-to-face encounter with real gorillas in the mist, there are so many other tourism products that have a bigger potential to attract more visitors than just seeing the mountain gorillas in Uganda. A team of technocrats must sit a develop NEW tourism products including faith-based tourism, Village, and homestay experiences that increase visitors’ stay on their visit.
This crisis will only be overcome together, let us care for the tourism industry that our economy depends on. Let us continue to care for wildlife, land, and our people. We can still make a difference together in Uganda’s Tourism Recovery Plan Post Covid-19.
