Fort portal city to host the World Tourism Day celebrations

Courtesy photo

The climax of Uganda’s celebrations of the World Tourism Day will be held on 27th September under the theme “Tourism and Rural Community development”.

This year’s commemoration focuses on the plight of rural communities and the contribution Tourism can make in transforming livelihoods. The beauty of Uganda is best exemplified by the countryside, fresh, undisturbed ecosystems where the people live in harmony with nature. Unfortunately, these environments also suffer the hardships occasioned by infrastructure deficits and service provisions. Tourism can play an important role in securing the necessary resources and investment to bridge these developmental gaps.

Tourism provides economic justification to protect the resources from degradation and encroachment. In celebrating world tourism day, this year the ministry has chosen to place the spotlight on Fort portal in Kabarole. This region exemplifies some of the best landscapes and wonderful people that explain the brand Uganda, The Pearl of Africa.

This region also has some of the best examples explaining how communities have been transformed using Tourism and can be used to teach the entire country the best development models. Fort portal has recently been declared a tourism City and the leadership should be engaged in an early stage to guide that development to greater heights.

As the region celebrates the silver jubilee anniversary of the reign of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi the fourth the king has led his people with steadfast vision and mobilised them into a developmental force that evokes pride in the region. His peaceful and developmental reign is also a testament to governments support and commitment to the kingdoms.

The Ministry of Tourism has launched guidelines for the tourism enterprises and currently, it is carrying out a nationwide campaign to sensitise and ensure compliance with the #covid19 SOPs. During the tourism week, similar pieces of training will be conducted in Fort portal the Tourism City to ensure compliance.

All contestants and the voters in the forthcoming general elections have been urged to maintain peace, law and order and not to let differences in opinion bitterly divide the society. Tourism thrives on peace and the public has been called upon to put leaders to task and hold them accountable; they should have a tangible program for tourism because only when there is focused leadership can development occur.