Compared to other sub-Saharan tourist giants like Kenya and South Africa, Uganda lacks international attention. According to many tourism experts, the country is nowhere near exploiting its full potential and Uganda needs to focus on better marketing itself.
Sub-Saharan Africa features many countries which have recently focused heavily on raising the standard of local services in order to appeal to the global tourist community. The continent is beautifully diverse. With unique natural gems, diverse fauna and flora, and fascinating cultural heritage many countries attract an increasing number of visitors. The competition is fierce and some countries deal with it better than others. According to recent reports, Uganda is one of the countries with amazing potential, yet completely lacks marketing and the will to promote itself more efficiently.
South Africa and Kenya seem to have established an international reputation and tourism experts agree this is mainly thanks to the investment into international promotion and marketing campaigns. Uganda has been often criticized in terms of having rather poor infrastructure; there have been concerns over health and hygiene too and the standard of services was often deemed insufficient.
The major hindrance for any progress and improvement is the lack of funds. In their most recent financial plans, the government officials decided to focus on improving the infrastructure as a priority. Critics say that while tourism is considered a major source of income, there is no political will to invest in it. The government however argues that as the economy grows, the budget for tourism is likely to increase as well. Hopefully, this will happen soon as at the moment, this wonderful country is significantly missing out on the attention it truly deserves.
