The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Col. Tom Butime has asked Ugandans to step up efforts of conserving Uganda’s natural tourism resources.
He said there cannot be resources to bring back whatever the tourism sector loses.
Colonel Butime asked communities around tourism sites to appreciate the diverse contribution the sector is making towards enhancing national and household development.
A recent study by UBOS indicated that the tourism sector employees 1.5 million Ugandans compared to the 2019 estimates of 600,000.
This means that of 10 employed Ugandans at least two are in the tourism sector.
The tourism minister who was speaking at the student’s graduation function at Uganda Wildlife Research and Tourism Training institute-UWRTI in Kasese said Uganda’s tourism resources are largely natural based and therefore their existence depends on the behavior of the surrounding population.
He asked local communities to tap into community tourism.
The minister said Government was committed to making UWRTI improve on its academic and research mandates with an increased budget allocation.
The funding will improve the institution’s infrastructure, staffing and training activities.
The minister also asked the graduates to take advantage of the immense opportunities in the tourism sector to secure or create jobs.
The Busongora South member of parliament Gideon Mujungu asked government to consider introducing more courses at the Institute to meet the current job market demands.
He also asked government to support communities around natural resources tap into the opportunities in the local tourism.
The UWRTI governing council chairperson, Sarah Nalule said the governing council developed the 2020-2025 strategic plan that requires financing of about 1.46 Billion for the activities therein and asked the minister to help them fast-track this budgetary allocation.
She also asked government to approve the new staffing structure to enable the research and training mandate of the Institute.
Meanwhile, UWRTI principle Robert Baluku asked government to allocate special resources towards fencing the Institute, improving accommodation facilities of students, putting up a library and staff accommodation facilities.
He requested government to link the Institute to other development partners within and abroad.
Brenda Muhindo one of the graduates in Tourism Management at UWRTI hailed her teachers and parents who inspired her to finish her course despite interruptions brought about by COVID-19.
Over 100 students graduated with certificates and diploma’s in various tourism and research displines at the Institute’s 11 graduation ceremony.
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