Buganda Queen routes for increased investment in tourism

THE Queen of Buganda, Nabagereka Sylvia Naginda has urged central and local governments to scale up investments in tourism by uplifting our heritage sites and wildlife conservation centers to foster rapid socio-economic development.

The Nabagereka who is also the patron for the Buganda Tourism Board was on Wednesday June 29, 2011 addressing exhibitors and a mammoth crowd that turned up for the ongoing third Buganda Tourism Expo 2011,in Mengo palace grounds, Lubiri,Kampala.

The Queen said that governments worldwide invest heavily in promoting tourism by uplifting and aggressively marketing sites of intrinsic value and cited tourism as the third leading revenue earner for various countries.
She urged Ugandans promote domestic tourism by embracing their own endowments including the many national parks, historical sites like Fort Lugard, Kasubi tombs, the Kabaka’s lake among others.

“I urge you to visit your national parks and the Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe which are not meant only for the foreign visitors,” said the Nabagereka flanked by the second deputy premier for Buganda Muhammad Semambo Ssekimpi and Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi the kingdom minister for tourism. She observed that domestic tourism is a vehicle for cultural exchange and spurs the growth of other sectors.

She advised that current globalization trends place a challenge on all stake holders to pay keen interest in conservation, protection and planning for sustainable tourism industry to be part of the national vision that will transform Uganda into a developed country.

She commended the partners including Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority,Uganda Wildlife Education Centre and the central government ministry of Tourism for having made the annual event a success.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Kampala Capital City Authority Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago also visited the expo and pledged to work with all stake holders in promoting tourism.

The expo was officially opened by Mrs Maria Kiwanuka the central government minister for Finance and Economic Planning on Monday who urged the stake holders to aggressively market tourism.