Tourism Minister launches Easter travel packages;As Aero link slashes domestic flight costs to shs 470,000.

While addressing the media on Monday in Kampala on the launch of the Easter gate away travel packages, the State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Martin Bahinduka Mugarra said that currently very little effort is targeted towards the domestic market and reminded Ugandans that domestic travel is not only for foreigners but also for the local population.

Minister Mugarra at Media center.

According to Mugarra, Uganda to have a sustainable tourism sector, it can only be achieved through much efforts pumped in domestic travel just like in Kenya and Tanzania and elsewhere in the world.

After an assessment by the Ministry of Tourism that the tourism services in Uganda have been heavily skewed towards key international markets and very little is targeted towards the domestic market, it has decided to team up with different domestic tourism players to promote Easter holiday’s packages.

‘’As a Ministry, we have decided to make some strategic inroads towards promoting the domestic tourism service especially now after the covid19 pandemic’’ Mugarra added.

‘’Destinations for international in bound tourists are marketed for domestic tourists yet the two tourists have different motivations’’ he also said.

The Ministry of Tourism in its Easter holiday’s package has teamed up with the Uganda Hotel Owners Association, the Domestic Tourism Forum that comprises of service providers like Umoja Conservation Trust, various domestic airlines like Aero link and also public transport providers plus regional tourism clusters to come up with packages that are tailor made specifically for Ugandans and bearing in mind their unique travel needs and interests.

‘’We encourage Ugandans to use this Easter holiday period to go and recharge in various destinations across the country’’ Mugarra emphasized.

In her remarks the Managing Director Natures Green Beach Resort Yawagnesh M. Biriggwa who also seats on the Uganda Tourism Board, Board said that Ugandans dynamics of travel have since changed after covid19 and now is the right time to come up with packages to offer to nationals.

‘’The perception of Tourism is expensive should change, Ugandans now should start enjoying their country’’ she added also emphasizing that different packages offered by Hotels are affordable and attractive and to be of continuous effort.

On behalf of Aero Link one of the aviation airlines that patterned with the Ministry, the country Manager Captain Catherine Mugo said that their partnership is mainly to make domestic flying affordable to nationals and reminded Ugandans that anybody can fly domestically if they have a national ID.

‘We have discounted our tickets to the Eastern destinations and starting April 10th to 22nd, a return ticket will cost 890,000UGX and a one way will go for 470,000UGX’she added.

Uganda has several tourism destinations which can be toured by nationals across the country which include Lake Bunyonyi, Ssesse islands, the Sipi falls, Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls, Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mountains Rwenzori and Elgon and many others