Tourism
The Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Mr. Taleb Rifai on his maiden visit to Uganda has commended the rate at which
tourism in Uganda is flourishing terming it as the oil that runs the economies
which never runs out if well preserved.
This after he
visited the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe(UWEC) where he
participated in greeting and feeding the giraffes, chimpanzees and an infant
elephant before he marveled at the shoe bill stock and sighted a variety of the
reptiles.
Flanked by UNWTO
regional coordinator for Africa Mr. Ousman Ndiaye and the UN Resident
Coordinator Ms Aziakwona Ononchie, the visibly excited Secretary General
described tourism sector in Uganda as a star in the making waiting to rise to
the surface.
Mr. Taleb told the
Tourism fraternity at Kampala Serena Hotel during a cocktail on Sunday June 23
that "Travel and tourism play a central role in the socio-economic
transformation of the country by creating employment and promoting better
understanding".
He added that "Globally tourism generates 5.2 trillion dollars a year and
is the third largest industry. "In 2012, one billion tourists crossed
borders to visit other countries," he said, adding that it is now time for
Uganda to shine. Mr. Taleb said Uganda is enormously endowed with tourism
potential arguing that what "you do with what you have is what
matters" .He promised that the UN system in the country will work together
to promote and foster tourism growth.
"We appreciate the technical support that UNWTO and UNDP is currently
giving Uganda in the review of our tourism policy and development of the
tourism master plan and the development of inclusive Markets in Tourism sector
Project". Said Uganda Vice President, Mr. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.
Uganda's minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Dr. Maria Mutagamba
said the government is working with UNWTO to define 'Destination –Pearl of
Africa' by harnessing her natural and cultural endowments. She hailed the UNWTO
for the technical assistance to develop Uganda's Tourism Policy and Master Plan
2003 which had expired in 2013 and that Uganda is embarking on a new ten-year
plan"
Mr. Rifai is Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) based
in Madrid, Spain. He holds this position since 1 January 2010. He was
unanimously elected at the 18th session of UNWTO General Assembly (October
2009), following the recommendation of the UNWTO Executive Council made in May
2009.
The UNTWO boss and his entourage later held a high level meeting with the
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni before having a breakfast meeting with the
tourism fraternity including the private sector and government agency
representatives
