Kasaija tells media to report positively about Uganda
The minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Matia Kasaija on Friday repeatedly lashed at Ugandan media for doing little to promote tourism.
He was speaking as chief guest, during the 9th Tourism Sector Review Conference, which ran under the theme: “Enhancing Sustainable Inclusiveness in tourism for sustainable job and wealth creation”
He said false stories in media depicting Uganda as unsafe country, discourages tourists from visiting the country, which results into Uganda losing foreign exchange needed for economic development.
“When we suffer as a country, due to loss of foreign exchange from tourism sector attributed to your false stories, you will also suffer because you are part and parcel of the Ugandan community”, he said.
Kasaija called upon the media to exercise a sense of patriotism and put the interests of Uganda ahead of their media houses’ interests.
He promised that his ministry will do all that is possible to support the tourism sector through; branding the country abroad, infrastructure development, revival of Uganda Airlines and turning Entebbe International Airport into a regional hub among others.
United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Rosa Malango, reminded the Ugandan tourism sector stakeholders, of their obligation to align their activities with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“This is by addressing issues of climate change, poverty eradication and enhancing economic development”, she said.
She called upon the tourism sector to promote revenue sharing to communities bordering national parks, to minimise human and animal conflict.
The minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Ephraim Kamuntu called on tourism stakeholders to address the challenge of skills gap.
He said most hotel owners and managers employ foreign hoteliers because of lack of locally trained hoteliers.
He said his ministry is in touch with the ministry of Works and Transport to work on all roads passing through national parks.
He reminded the private sector to invest in cable cars, to enable tourists Climb Mountains, with ease and also generate income for the country.
