Uganda safe for tourism, despite global media misinformation
Private tourism industry leaders have slammed global media stories implying that Uganda is failing to curb the Ebola pandemic.
Many claim that this type of reporting has resulted in cancellations in the sector, resulting in revenue loss.
While the tourism business has done admirably in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the breakout of Ebola in Mubende and Kassanda areas appears to be undoing some of the achievements made.
Private tourism players who spoke to Nile Post think the situation is getting worse and that the government should step in.
“The reporting on Ebola has really affected us, people have stopped booking and many are canceling.”
“Businesses has also dropped by over 90 percent in the last quarter,” Erau Jonathan, a tourism operator and team leader at Chosen Expeditions and Tours Limited told this website.
According to Herbert Byaruhanga, president of the Uganda Tourism Association, the sector has had a number of cancellations since the Ebola outbreak was declared last month.
He said that many of the cancellations are the result of biased international media reporting, which has scared off would-be tourists.
“We are being affected by some of these media houses that are announcing a big outbreak in Uganda, the truth is the numbers are going down…”
The hotel industry is also beginning to feel the void. This is demonstrated by the fact that travelers from Uganda returning to the United States are served by only five airports, scaring those from Europe. Many people are postponing their travel plans, resulting in economic loss.
Coleb Niwataho, the team leader of Standard Safaris Ltd, stated that tourists from sensitive markets such as the United Kingdom and the United States began canceling their vacations to Uganda.
“These are some of the countries that sent out warnings against traveling to Uganda as an Ebola-hit destination..” Niwataho said.
“As Standard Safaris, we have had about 2% of our clients cancel due to the Ebola outbreak,” he added.
The tourism sector, on the other hand, expressed confidence in the Ministry of Health's attempts to contain the spread and expressed hope that their industry will prosper again.
Despite the breakout of Ebola in some regions of the country, the Ministry of Health and the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) underlined this week that Uganda is a safe destination for all national and international tourists.
It has already been at least 36 days after the country’s ebola outbreak was declared. The overall number of confirmed cases by end of Thursday, October 28, 2022, was 109, with 30 dying from this fatal disease, 34 being treated and improving, and 45 still being treated.
