A decade after launching the Ten-year Integrated Tourism Development Master Plan, Uganda has adopted a policy that will drive the industry into the future.
The National Tourism Policy 2003, developed with the assistance of the World Bank PAMSU programme and in full consultation with the industry, is a key part of the Governments commitment to tourism. The EU funded Uganda Sustainable Tourism Development Programme that runs until March 2007, follows the principles set out in the policy. It builds on the Ten-year Integrated Tourism Development Master Plan, which has driven tourism development since 1993, but has largely been overtaken by events.
Aiming at an annual target of 500,000 tourist arrivals in ten years time, the policy also seeks to conserve Uganda’s natural heritage by putting tourism at the centre of Uganda’s development efforts. The aim is to incrementally raise the number of holiday visitors from 25,000 to 100,000 tourists, over the decade. UBOS figures show 68,500 tourist arrivals in 2002.
Policy makers note that although the service sector generated $115 million in 2001 beating coffee which brought in $107 million, this money came more from business visitors and domestic tourism than international leisure visitors to protected areas. 2002’s figure reached $ 165 million.
Strong on unspoilt wilderness, the mountain gorillas and a unique blend of nature and culture, policy makers believe that Uganda’s attractions if well managed, can make an impact on poverty by bringing wealth to those areas of the country where commercial activity is still limited. Giving local communities a stake in tourism through involving them in the management of tourism resources is now universally accepted as one of the most effective models of ensuring sustainability. This approach reduces conflict with neighbourhood communities and brings down the cost of conservation by giving locals a vested interest in tourism resources.
And because it is not confined just to commercial or population centres, tourism has the power to play a significant role in the economic transformation of those areas where other commercial activity is limited.
Although Uganda has good attractions, it has not taken its fair share of the international holiday and leisure market because of a poor image that is often associated with insecurity.
The new tourism policy sets the framework for addressing current constraints facing the industry, outlining a set of actions needed to position Uganda in the international holiday market through a public private sector partnership.
Underdeveloped resource
The policy notes that although tourism has strong potential for re-establishment, the industry has not grown much in recent times because tourist resources are not well developed. An inadequate human resource base and low levels of service characterize the industry.
Improving manpower capabilities and professionalism across the industry and enforcing a code of conduct form a major plank of the new tourism policy. It is observed that while tourism training should be led by the private sector under a regulatory framework set by the government, there is need for better collaboration between training institutions and industry players.
Taking on the titans
Because of the difficulties associated with competing against better developed tourism products such as are found in Kenya and Tanzania, it is recommended that Uganda focus her energies on niche markets, developing the products demanded by these specific segments.
Under this strategy, the market is divided into four basic segments – international niche markets, mainstream tourists including traffic to Kenya and Tanzania, regional markets such as South Africa and domestic markets – a strategy that will allow the industry to tap into the upper, middle and lower ends of the market.
Using a new marketing strategy, promotion of Uganda will focus on creating a new positive image about the country as a destination with the government tackling issues of security.
Government will also be expected to improve access to tourist sites by developing transport and communication infrastructure such as roads, decentralization of tourism development to local authorities where necessary and linking with regional and international initiatives.
Planners believe that the proposed changes to tourism management and development can easily reverse the tide if focused on the key areas of security and safety, image development, establishment of tailor made organisational structures and provision of adequate financial resources through a combination of government, private sector and donor sources.
Consumer Research Opens a Window on Uganda
Results of consumer research conducted in Britain and the United States last November, have opened an interesting window on how Uganda is perceived by potential visitors in key tourist source markets.
The research, undertaken as part of the Uganda Sustainable Tourism Development Programme [UGSTDP], sampled attitudes and perceptions of experienced travellers in the US and UK, towards Uganda.
It also sought to establish the preferences of pleasure travellers, their attitudes towards Africa in general and knowledge of Uganda in particular, sources of information about destinations and communication gaps in information about Uganda.
The exercise which took a qualitative, rather than quantitative approach, examined attitudes in six different discussion groups split evenly between the US and United Kingdom. During focus group discussions in both countries, it emerged that there was very little awareness or knowledge about what Uganda has to offer as a tourist destination.
“What we have is a blank sheet of paper,” say the psychologists who led the discussions.
The researchers caution that while the absence of knowledge about Uganda is definitely on the underside, on the brighter side, this also means that there will be fewer negative stereotypes to deal with and it will be easier to shape new perceptions of the country and its attractions.
There was very little spontaneous mention of Uganda during the discussions, awareness being limited to the country’s laudable efforts to fight Aids, Idi Amin and the 1976 hostage rescue mission from Entebbe by Israeli commando’s that was immortalised in the movie, Idi Amin.
While there were few if any place names associated with Uganda, mention of Aids was seen as a good indicator because it came in the light of the country’s successful efforts in rolling back the epidemic.
There were also general concerns about safety, poverty, health risks, and the high cost of traveling to and around Uganda as well as poor infrastructure.
However, tourism experts caution that the concerns about cost should not be taken to mean a need to reduce the price of a holiday to Uganda but rather point to a need to give value for money by improving quality of service and facilities.
As with the rest of Africa, the wildlife safari is assumed to be the most compelling reason to visit Uganda. Long haul travellers were found to be motivated by a desire to experience something unique and authentic – a factor Uganda could capitalise on – in terms of scenery, people, culture and unspoilt wilderness.
Interest in destinations was found to be driven more by word of mouth and the experiences of people who have been to a destination before, with PR channels, guide books and travel sections in newspapers and magazines following next.
For women more than men, safety is a critical factor when choosing a destination while for Americans, time and budget seem to be more important. Americans are also more likely to use the Internet as a source of information compared to Britons. Across both countries, chances of being able to communicate in a familiar language is an incentive while nobody will want to take any safety or health risks.
Americans and Britons resent anything they perceive as tainted by corruption or exploitation while they place a premium on comfort and quality service. Travellers will also tend to rely on the travel trade in situations where they have confidence in the travel agency managing the tour or if the destination is exotic and very foreign to them and offers a range of activities and locations.
The researchers’ point out that the desire by travellers for new experiences presents an opportunity for Uganda as the incidence of travel is rather low but the industry will have to emphasise the different or distinctive appeals of the country. The information needs of travellers could also be met better through an informed travel trade.
The results of the survey will be used to assist in designing a more focused marketing strategy for Uganda as they provide useful insights into how the country can be positioned to take a bigger slice of the international leisure travel market.
Filling in the Blank Sheet
Americans want to be re-assured about accommodation, food and transport while Britons are concerned about getting good value for their money.
In the race for international tourists, Uganda, with so little known about it, literally has a blank sheet before it and how this is filled will largely determine how it fares against the competition.
Even though the country can flaunt its mountain gorillas, scenic mountain trails, bird watching and cool tropical waters, key concerns revealed in recent research findings will have to be addressed.
On one hand are issues of security and infrastructure such as roads that can only be addressed by the government, while on the other are issues of quality of service that fall squarely into the hands of tour operators.
The research results, which will form the basis of a new marketing approach to Uganda’s tourism, suggest that the country could be presented as a unique African destination but the industry will have to focus more on customer satisfaction.
In dealing with tourists from the UK, this would take the form of broadening awareness of the range of appeals and facets of a holiday in Uganda while giving good value for money. Visitors would also want to be reassured about the safety and security of the destination.
Building on the romanticism of the African safari and personalizing the experience could lure more Americans to Uganda although time and budget concerns make timing and packaging the Uganda holiday as part of a larger African tour more viable.
In the mountain gorilla, Uganda has a very good niche but potential visitors are hampered by a lack of good and easy sources of information about the attraction. Frequently asked questions were how physically demanding tracking is on the individual and distances and quality of transport between the point of arrival and the attraction.
It is suggested that in the short term, Uganda could take advantage of the gorilla and other niches but added value and benefits have to be worked in to sustain traffic in the long term.
In choosing media for publicity, account will have to be taken of the fact that Americans tend to rely more on The Travel Channel where the recently screened President’s film [Uganda: The Presidential Tour] will no doubt have an impact and Web sites while Britons tend to be influenced more by the travel sections in Sunday papers and the BBC.
Publicity will have to be maximised in target media such as guide books while word of mouth, tour operators and Ugandan missions abroad could also play a promotional role.
High Cost Puts Entebbe at Disadvantage
What is the smart thing to do if you are in Brussels and you want to get the cheapest airline ticket to Entebbe? Buying a ticket to Nairobi.
A study of the cost of flying to Uganda from Europe and North America, found instances of selective pricing which put Entebbe at a disadvantage compared to Nairobi and Johannesburg.
Using data extracted from the Global Distribution System over a five week period between November and December this year, researchers found Entebbe to be competitively priced against Nairobi and Johannesburg from London although the latter gain a competitive advantage if departures are from New York, Amsterdam or Brussels.
The study was based on web fares for economy class tickets bought 60 days in advance for a 13-day stay. It looked at fares offered by airlines to Entebbe, Nairobi and Johannesburg for five weeks between November 6 and December 4, 2003. Departure points were New York, London, Brussels and Amsterdam using either non-stop direct flights or flights with the least number of connections to the three destinations.
At $905, Entebbe compared favourably with Nairobi, which was going for $976 while of the three, Johannesburg at $873 was the cheapest destination to fly if you were departing from London.
The biggest difference in fares was found on ticket purchases from New York, where a return ticket cost Entebbe bound travellers $1987 compared to $1230 for Nairobi and only $995 if they had chosen to travel to Johannesburg.
There were also instances where carriers charged more for tickets from Amsterdam and Brussels to Entebbe than they were charging for Nairobi, even though the flights first stopped over in Uganda. For a period, passengers departing from Brussels could save as much as $166 if they bought a ticket to Nairobi but disembarked at Entebbe instead.
That was a practical option for passengers travelling with only hand baggage, who could buy a ticket to Nairobi and then simply walk off the moment the plane got to Entebbe, something you are not permitted to do of course.
The higher prices for Entebbe compared to Johannesburg and Nairobi are partly explained by the low volume of northbound passenger traffic from Uganda, which has prevented the development of more direct flights into out of Entebbe, stiffling competition in the process.