Public-private Uganda tourism cooperation

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) have today, August 28, 2015, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation aimed at boosting the sa

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) have today, August 28, 2015, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation aimed at boosting the sale of gorilla tracking permits.

Under the memorandum, UWA will provide a commission of one complimentary gorilla tracking permit for every 30 gorilla permits bought and utilized by AUTO to Foreign Non-Resident (FNR) clients. This initiative shall replace the old sales commission of US$10 out of US$600 per permit.

The complimentary permits will be declared at the end of each quarter, based on the sales performance of the previous quarter.

The three year MOU which takes effect on September 1, 2015, is aimed at supporting and strengthening the capacity of Uganda tour operators to market the tourism potential of the country more effectively in the international markets.

The two entities believe the MOU will enhance cooperation, increase the sale of gorilla permits, and promote gorilla tourism regionally and internationally.

Said AUTO Chairperson Barbara Adoso Van Helleputte, โ€œThe sales from the extra permits shall support development programs of the association in the areas of training and marketing.โ€

This comes at a time when industry is in the process of preparing a strategic plan strengthen its trade associations though a United Nations Development Program/Uganda Tourism Board (UNDP/UTB)-funded consultative process.

Currently, individual tour operators have to fork out on average of US$4,000 to US$5,000 each in travel, visa, accommodation, exhibitor and travel insurance expenses per exhibition towards international exhibitions in Europe and Japan like WTM London, ITB Berlin, BIT Milan, FITUR Spain, and JATA Japan with no guarantees for a visa.

At the signing, UWA Exectutive Director Dr. Andrew Seguya stated that โ€œthe number of available permits currently stands at 104 per day, up from 18 in 2006 with 13 gorilla groups fully habituated for tourism in the Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area.โ€ He also called for better and more effective approaches to marketing.

With average sales of 90 permits per day, AUTO estimates projections shall hit the US$650,000 mark, greatly offsetting their budget while at the same time mutually benefiting UWA.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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