Travel
Travel and Tourism

Travel And Tourism in Uganda

Uganda

Euromonitor International's Travel And Tourism in Uganda report offers a comprehensive guide to the market at a national level. It looks at travel accommodation, transportation, car rental, tourist attractions and retail travel. It identifies the leading companies and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market, including background information on disposable income, annual leave and holiday taking habits.

Buy online to access strategic market analysis and an interactive statistical database of market size data for travel accommodation, transportation, car rental, travel retail, tourism attractions and health and wellness tourism, tourism inflows and outflows, tourism spending and company and brand shares.

Tables: 55  |  Publication date: Aug 2009
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GBP260.00

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  • Get insight into trends in market performance
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Product coverage

Car rental; Demand factors; Health and wellness tourism; Tourism flows domestic; Tourism flows inbound; Tourism flows outbound; Tourism receipts and expenditure; Tourist attractions; Transportation; Travel accommodation; Travel retail

Executive summary

Slow Growth in Tourist Arrivals as Financial Crisis Bites

Uganda’s economy depends heavily on travel and tourism and this industry is already feeling the pinch of the global credit crunch, with many consumers cutting back on travel spending and switching to cheaper tourist destinations. In 2008, growth in tourist arrivals was down to 8%, compared to a 19% increase in 2007. The country’s travel and tourism industry, which contributes about 25% of export earnings annually, also reported a drop in growth of tourism earnings in 2008. These trends can be attributed to the economic downturn in Europe and the US, which are the main sources of visitors to Uganda’s tourist attractions such as national parks and game reserves.

Underfunding Threatens Travel and Tourism Industry

The lack of funds to develop tourism facilities has been slowing growth in the sector considered as the fastest growing industry and a major foreign exchange earner in Uganda. The tourism industry had witnessed enormous growth in earlier years of the review period and according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), currently provides about 20% of available jobs, more than any other sector in the country. Travel and tourism has also been offering new optimism, which is expected to inject renewed momentum into Uganda’s economy with more jobs and growth of infrastructure. However, tourism experts believe that the lack of adequate funds to finance the development of projects in the sector poses a great threat to growth of the sector and also the national economy. Furthermore, Uganda’s consistent failure to meet its obligations to various tourism organisations has also placed it dangerously at risk of having its tourism industry grind to a halt. In a bid to revive the industry, the government is planning to increase the budget for travel and tourism in 2009.

Emergence of New Airlines Fostering Competition on Regional Routes

Air travel in Uganda has long suffered from the lack of competition on domestic and regional routes. The industry had been virtually monopolised by a few airlines such as Kenyan Airways, which charged exorbitant fares and made it difficult for many Ugandans to fly to domestic or regional destinations due to the high cost. However, the re-emergence of the national air carrier (Air Uganda) and other new airlines operating in Uganda have transformed the aviation industry and are thus fostering competition in the air transportation sector. This is a big relief to many Ugandans, because this has ended the monopoly and blatant overpricing behaviours of some of the airlines operating in the country.

New IT Policy to Boost Positive Image of Tourism

Over the last years, the government of Uganda has been looking for ways to project a positive image of the country’s natural resources and cultural heritage. It recently set up an IT policy draft to boost the sustainable development of tourist infrastructure and related facilities for a reliable network for making hotel, car hire, airline and other transportation reservations. The objective of the policy is to enable Uganda to become a net provider of Internet content on the web as well as generate revenue through the promotion of the country’s cultural heritage, businesses and tourist activities on a digital level. Internet connectivity to major tourist areas will also be provided.

Revitalisation of Tourism Facilities in the Northern Region

Following its return to stability, the northern part of Uganda (especially the Arua District) has been positioning itself to tap into the windfall of tourism after government announced plans to increase tourism funding in the region. This area was known for its cultural sites, but lost much income from tourism due to a series of setbacks suffered in the past as a result of rebel insurgence. Cultural sites were destroyed and other potential tourism sites such as mountains were not properly maintained. However, the frail tourism industry in the north is poised for takeoff as the government seeks funds to rejuvenate the once prosperous industry beginning with the hospitality sector, where there is an urgent need for hotels and lodges that match international standards.

Table of contents

TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN UGANDA : MARKET INSIGHT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Slow Growth in Tourist Arrivals as Financial Crisis Bites

Underfunding Threatens Travel and Tourism Industry

Emergence of New Airlines Fostering Competition on Regional Routes

New IT Policy to Boost Positive Image of Tourism

Revitalisation of Tourism Facilities in the Northern Region

KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS

Foreign Direct Investment

High Fuel Prices Affecting Transportation

Economic Importance of Gorilla Tourism

MARKET INDICATORS

Table 1 Length of Domestic Trips: 2003-2008

Table 2 Length of Outbound Departures: 2003-2008

MARKET DATA

Table 3 Balance of Tourism Payments: Value 2003-2008

Table 4 Departures by Destination: 2003-2008

Table 5 Departures by Method of Transport: 2003-2008

Table 6 Departures by Purpose of Visit: 2003-2008

Table 7 Outgoing Tourist Expenditure: Value 2003-2008

Table 8 Forecast Departures by Destination: 2008-2013

Table 9 Forecast Departures by Method of Transport: 2008-2013

Table 10 Forecast Departures by Purpose of Visit: 2008-2013

Table 11 Forecast Outgoing Tourism Expenditure: Value 2008-2013

Table 12 Domestic Trips by Purpose of Visit and by Method of Transport: 2003-2008

Table 13 Domestic Tourist Expenditure: Value: 2003-2008

Table 14 Forecast Domestic Trips by Purpose of Visit and by Method of Transport: 2008-2013

Table 15 Forecast Domestic Tourist Expenditure: Value: 2008-2013

Table 16 Tourist Attractions: Value 2003-2008

Table 17 Tourist Attractions Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 18 Forecast Tourist Attractions: Value 2008-2013

Table 19 Forecast Tourist Attractions Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

Table 20 Health and Wellness Tourism Sales: Value 2003-2008

Table 21 Forecast Health and Wellness Sales: Value 2008-2013

APPENDIX

DEFINITIONS

Tourism parameters

Travel accommodation

Transportation

Car rental

Travel retail

Tourist attractions

Health and wellness

Internet sales

Internet sales: dynamic packaging

Internet sales: traditional package holiday

Summary 1 Research Sources

INBOUND TOURISM FLOWS

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

SECTOR DATA

Table 22 Arrivals by Country of Origin: 2003-2008

Table 23 Arrivals by Method of Transport: 2003-2008

Table 24 Arrivals by Purpose of Visit: 2003-2008

Table 25 Incoming Tourist Receipts: Value 2003-2008

Table 26 Forecast Arrivals by Country of Origin: 2008-2013

Table 27 Forecast Arrivals by Method of Transport: 2008-2013

Table 28 Forecast Arrivals by Purpose of Visit: 2008-2013

Table 29 Forecast Incoming Tourist Receipts: Value 2008-2013

TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

SECTOR DATA

Table 30 Travel Accommodation Sales by Sector: Value 2003-2008

Table 31 Travel Accommodation Outlets by Sector: Units 2003-2008

Table 32 Regional Hotel Parameters 2008

Table 33 Travel Accommodation Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 34 Hotel Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 35 Forecast Travel Accommodation Sales by Sector: Value 2008-2013

Table 36 Forecast Travel Accommodation Outlets by Sector: Units 2008-2013

Table 37 Forecast Travel Accommodation Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

TRANSPORTATION

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

SECTOR DATA

Table 38 Transportation Sales by Sector: Value 2003-2008

Table 39 Transportation Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 40 Air Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 41 Forecast Transportation Sales by Sector: Value 2008-2013

Table 42 Forecast Transportation Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

CAR RENTAL

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

SECTOR DATA

Table 43 Car Rental Sales: Value 2003-2008

Table 44 Car Rental Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 45 Car Rental Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 46 Forecast Car Rental Sales: Value 2008-2013

Table 47 Forecast Car Rental Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

TRAVEL RETAIL

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

SECTOR DATA

Table 48 Travel Retail Outlets: Units 2003-2008

Table 49 Travel Retail Products Sales: Value 2003-2008

Table 50 Travel Retail Products Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 51 Travel Retail Products Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 52 Forecast Travel Retail Outlets: Units 2008-2013

Table 53 Forecast Travel Retail Products Sales: Value 2008-2013

Table 54 Forecast Travel Retail Products Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

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