East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA- East Africans can now view gorillas at a cheaper price in Uganda after the Uganda Wildlife Authority announced reduced tariffs for low season tourists.
Dr Andrew Seguya the UWA executive director told reporters in Kampala that the rates have been brought down to Ushs100,000 ($42) from Ushs250,000 ($105) per East African tourist.
This he added, the Gorilla Permit Promotion will give a chance to clients to plan early and save money to visit the parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga to see the Gorillas.
 "Ugandans, Kenyans, Tanzanians, Rwandans and Burundians have an opportunity in this low season to see our Gorillas at one and reduced rate," Dr Seguya affirmed.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a total of 28 gorilla families of which six are habituated for tourism, one Gorilla family is for research and two other Gorilla families are in habituation for tourism. Bwindi is also home to half of the World's remaining Mountain gorilla Population which is less than 790.
"The foreign residents and non residents in East Africa who want to see the gorillas are also to gain in this low season which runs from March, April, May, October and November every year.
"Their rates have been reduced from $500 to $350 for foreign non residents and $250 for foreign resident," Dr. Seguya added.
According to the UWA during the high tourism peak season which is in the months of December, January, February, June, July, August and September every year the gorilla permits are fully booked two years in advance.
Uganda's inflation had leaped from 11.1% March to 14.1% April and fears were raised recently that Uganda may be losing  up to $100 million a month in tourism earning as a result of the walk to work demonstration against  food and fuel inflation. This was said by Edwin Muzahura of Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) last week.
Dr Seguya denies that the Uganda Wildlife Authority's promotion has to do with the current political and economic situation in Uganda and he expects their marketing strategy will increase the number of the tourists both local and international who will come to see the gorillas.
"On average UWA sells 75% of the available permits every year, but with the new strategy this is expected to jump to 100%," he predicted.
According to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) of the $600 to $800 million received from tourism every year, mountain gorilla tracking fetches about 75%.  That is why security for the tourists is paramount for the Uganda government.
"204 rangers are about  to complete their training and we also work to improve the  welfare of community in areas of where gorillas as way to have security for our tourists," he concluded.