Dear Reader

Greetings for the month of July and welcome to our monthly newsletter. It is yet again that time of the month when we take the time to recap on the events that have been happening around the community tourism circles.

True to the famous saying that “a journey to a thousand miles starts with a single step”, Pearls Of Uganda celebrates the joint milestones that have been achieved by your continued support.
We reassure you of our dedicated efforts to keep you updated on the happenings in not only Community Based Tourism but also Tourism as a whole both within Uganda and world over. We believe that by doing so we will become a stronger force to promote our authentic community tourism experience.

Adjust your reading glasses and be our guest as we take you through the enticing experiences of the celebrated Pearl of Africa. You can also check our weekly posting on our blog (http://ucota.wordpress.com) and Facebook page Pearls Of Uganda.

Enjoy!

UCOTA News

UCOTA receives Exchange colleagues
It is always exciting to meet new people and share fresh ideas. UCOTA has once more received two exchange colleagues from Kenya who will be with the organization for the next one year.
Catherine Ndwiga and Faith Gikunda from Kenya Community Based Tourism Network (KECOBAT) are beneficiaries of the partnership that exists between the organizations in sharing best practices in community tourism in Uganda and Kenya.

"I am humbled to be part of this unique program and I plan to learn as much as possible during the period that I will be in UCOTA. I also look forward to sharing my ideas on communication and community tourism and as well visit communities to have firsthand experience of what Uganda has to offer in terms of community tourism." Faith.

"I love traveling and experiencing new cultures and Uganda doesn’t disappoint. Community based tourism is a means to sustainable tourism development; looking forward to impacting on communities through my Tourism and Marketing expertise." Catherine.
BY FAITH GIKUNDA

Mugyenyi Homestay
“Mugenyi” meaning visitor in the local Rutooro language is also name for the newly opened home stay in Kabarole district western Uganda. This home stay is located 25kms along Fort portal-Kasese road branching off at Phirimon stage towards Karambi village where your welcoming host awaits. It is well positioned to act as a base for the trips to Rwenzori, Semuliki, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth national parks. Even without visiting the parks, the village itself is worth a visit.

The Batooro people are well known for their hospitability here in Uganda and here you have the opportunity to experience this rich culture. Meeting the members of the home alone is an experience of its own, the house head, two helpers and two dogs have a great deal of skill and experience to share. This family offers space for three people a night. The lawn with a hedge provides a good space for relaxed privacy as you meditate after the day’s participation in the activities.

The home has solar lighting, running water and you have full time availability of overhead showers with a modern wash basin outside and a sit-down latrine. Hot showers can be provided on request.
Most of your time, if not relaxing on the lawn, you have a chance to participate in the agriculture activities which involve piggery, poultry rearing, fruit peaking (in season) or leisurely walk in the community village with one of the family members.

Activities and experiences to expect:

• Accommodation,
• Local meals
• Farming demos

Activities in the nearby areas:

• Basket weaving and dye making experience
• BBC candle making experience
• Rwenzori trekking on the southern spur
• Chimpanzee visit in Kibale forest national park
• Tooro cultural tour

Read more
BY FELEX KHAMALA

Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) Stratergic planning meeting
UCOTA being a member of UTA was invited for a strategic planning workshop which is aiming at setting five year strategic plan. The members came up with the Vision and mission of the association. It was unanimously agreed that UTA’s vision is to be a vibrant and diverse single tourism private sector umbrella association in Uganda.

In addition it will endeavor to provide a forum where private sector member associations can advocate for policies and practices that promote sustainable tourism development in Uganda.
This will be aided through the following strategic Objectives.

1. To build the capacity of UTA to mobilize and coordinate the tourism private sector with the public sector by 2020
2. To intermediate and reduce major obstacles to tourism development and investment in Uganda by 2020
3. To facilitate development of at least five tourism products by 2017 and marketing them together with existing products in key source markets by 2020.
4. Facilitate human resource capacity/skills development in the tourism sector
5. To support UTB in promoting harmonized standards and ensure quality control in tourism private sector operations in Uganda

A draft will be shared before it is confirmed as a working document.
BY PAUL LUBEGA

Uganda Martyrs walk 2014 raises money for children with heart problems
This year’s Martyrs day was a special one as thousands of pilgrims thronged Namugongo to pay tribute to the Uganda martyrs who died for religion between 1862 and 1887. Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) organized a walk to retrace the footsteps of the Uganda martyrs. The walk was scheduled for Sunday, June 1, ahead of martyrs’ day on Tuesday, June 3.

All proceeds from the 10km walk went towards saving lives of children at the Uganda Heart Institute. Participating pilgrims discovered the unknown places around Kampala where some of the martyrs were tortured and killed. Uganda Community Tourism Association (UCOTA) was proud to be part of this noble initiative and we are always happy to contribute towards the wellbeing of our societies.

The Martyrs’ Day Celebrations are held every 3rd June at the Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine, Namugongo, Kampala-Uganda. In Uganda, this day is a public holiday, which gives chance to millions of people from near and far to make pilgrimage to this Holy Land.

This year’s congregation included pilgrims from all parts of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Israel, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Canada, the USA, Nigeria, and from all over the world.
Many of the pilgrims from Uganda and the neighboring countries prefer to make the journey on foot, walking hundreds of kilometres over several days.
BY CATHERINE NDWIGA

UCOTA attends ARCOS validation sharing meeting
Local communities in the Albertine Rift region continue to receive boost in enhancing sustainable ecostystem benefits through various organizations. The project dubbed “Enhancing Ecosystem Services Resilience and Sustainable Benefits to Local Communities in the Albertine Rift region – “ESLOC”, is supported by MacArthur Foundation in partnership with district Authorities of Kisoro and Kabale, National Forest Authority (NFA) and Nature Uganda.

As part of this project, Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) and partners conducted a participatory identification of ecosystem services, their main users and threats facing them. This also involved an integrated assessment of biodiversity, ecosystem services and socio-economic status in Echuya Forest Landscape.

In the period of 12-17th August 2013, ARCOS and partners conducted a Total Economic Valuation of Echuya forest. This study was undertaken to determine the economic values of natural resources and their contribution to livelihoods, to quantify economic benefits and costs and determine the economic value of non-marketed goods and services in the area.

The economic value would describe an economic benefit in monetary terms for some key goods and services. This is expected to guide the decision making in regards to the sustainable use of forest resources. Further, the consideration of Echuya into the National Conservation Account will help in raising the awareness on its conservation and enhance the healthy ecosystem services of this forest.

It’s upon this that UCOTA was invited by (ARCOS) for a validation workshop for results of total economic valuation of Echuya forest. The meeting shared the findings of the research and a number of issues discussed with the participants contributing to the recommendations to be included before the submission of the final report.
BY PAUL LUBEGA

Advertising Opportunities
UCOTA is offering advertisement space on the UCOTA and Pearls of Uganda websites in 2014.
If you would like to advertise with the Pearls of Uganda Post or are interested in advertising on our websites, please contact us at ucota or phone us on +256(0)414501866/ +256(0)772657700.