Gorilla tracking-which country benefits more

It its common knowledge that mountain gorillas live in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of congo and because of this, gorilla tourism has grown and developed in these countries where tourists come to national parks in these countries and spend one hour with the gorillas. In this article we will try to access which country has benefited more from gorilla tourism.

Benefits from sell of gorilla permits.

Mountain gorilla permits cost differently depending on the country one is going to trek gorillas from. In Rwanda, Rwanda development board charges USD750 for a gorilla permit per person per trek while in Uganda, a gorilla permit costs USD600 in high season and USD350 in low seasons of April May and November. On paper therefore, Rwand generates more money out of the sale of gorilla permits basing on the price charged while Uganda less due to price. However due to price reduction, Uganda may sell more permits and bridge the gap created by price difference. This price difference may also position Uganda as a cheap destination compared to Rwanda.

Benefits to Lodges and Hotels

Hotels and lodges also benefit from gorilla tourism and this depends on the number of days one stays at the lodge or hotel while on his/her gorilla trekking tour. In Uganda, the minimum days one has to spend one a gorilla tour is three and then two nights at any given Lodge. One night is when you arrive at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the second night is for trekking gorillas and because you will never know when you will return back from your trek, you have to spend another second night at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This therefore means that Uganda Hotels and Lodges enjoy more bed nights than their counter parts in Rwanda. Many tourists like trekking gorillas in Rwanda not because of so many facts but because of less days/nights one spends. It is possible to fly to Kigali and drive straight to Volcanoes National Park, track gorillas the next day and drive to the airport for your departure flight out. This therefore means that one needs one night at a given lodge in Rwanda hence creating less bed nights per lodge. While this is good for the tourist, its not healthy for lodges as well as generating government revenue.

Benefits to Tour Operators

More nights/days spend on a gorilla tour to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga compared to Rwanda means that Ugand’s gorilla packages is more profitable than that of Rwanda. Discounted gorilla permits in April, May and November is proving an advantage to Uganda tour operators. During this period, many tourists have been attracted to trek In Uganda compared to Rwanda and also, Lodges tend to reduce on their rates making it easier for Uganda to sell compared to Rwanda.

All countries benefit from gorilla tourism and depending on the strategy employed, we will see who benefits more in futire. For any inquires about gorilla trekking safaris, kindly contact Encounter Africa Safaris and we will adviseyou accordingly.