Minister of State for National Guidance, Mr Godfrey Kabbyanga has said the Kasese district is committed to promoting tourism in Western Uganda’s circuit.
Mr Kabbyanga said tourism potential in the region has not lived up to their expectations in the past, hence the need for heightened promotion.
“Kasese is surrounded by three national parks with each having unique fauna and flora, the district is well endowed. It has unique cultures of warriors, so people are vigilant and have the biggest irrigation scheme- Mobuku which is a tourist attraction, “he said.
According to Kabbyanga, Kasese also has the biggest mining sites-Kilembe and five big rivers which are a menace during the rainy season.
“These are the things we are going to turn into tourist attractions; we have five power stations which are also a tourist attraction on top of that we will be able to sell our traditional food- sombe,” he said.
Speaking at the launch of the Rwenzori-Theluji festival, organized by the Kasese Tourism Investors Forum (KTIF), he said that the tourism industry was the most severely impacted by COVID-19.
Tourism as the main engine of the nation’s economy, the industry had to find creative means to continue operating during the pandemic.
Traders from the region are set to experience a business boom as KTIF in collaboration with partners, organised business exhibitions and a stakeholder workshop to provide an opportunity for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their activities, products, and services.
“The Rwenzori- Theluji festival is a tourism product designed to unify the Rwenzori Mountains and its landscapes with a multi-cultural centred people,” he said.
Mr Kabbyanga said there is an indication that many people have discovered the beauty of the Rwenzori region and explained that the government will be working on the airstrips to ease movement.
“The Kasese airport is one the government promised to upgrade but the funding has been a problem the Ministry of Works has confirmed that they have got a Turkish company ready to develop it,” he said.
He added; “We are going to have a build-operate- transfer for Kasese and Kisoro with that Turkish investor and negotiations are ongoing.”
Shs 300m for festival
Mr Baritazale Kule, the chairperson, of the Kasese Tourism Investors Forum (KTIF), said there will be a cultural gala on August 23 a few days before World Tourism Day.
“We are preparing groups that will showcase our culture, there will also be a biodiversity run with a climax will be a main marathon which will be on August 24,” he said.
On September 27, the world observes World Tourism Day, a day to raise awareness of the economic, social, cultural, and political benefits of tourism while examining the sector’s potential.
Mr Kule said KTIF has started to profile hotels and restaurants and people have been to develop homestays where they can benefit from the festival.
“We are looking for Shs 300 million to help us organize the activities like cultural gala, pre-marathon, tree planting; we are also having a trade and tourism summit that will require a lot of money to host,” he said.
