Uganda Tour Operators Go For Fam Trip

Uganda Tour Operators Go For Fam Trip, Going for a familiarization trip as Uganda Tour Operators has opened chances to the flow of more information about the country. Over the years, the information about the tourism attractions of Uganda has been less disseminated to the world leading to most of them being less visited because of luck of details about them.

When Uganda Tour operators are given chance to a retreat and feminization trip to these attractions, they are opened for the rest of the world to know. Africa especially Uganda is endowed with beautiful attractions most of which are untamed. These are getting more scarce because of challenges like climate change, human encroachment and others

During tourism low seasons like March to May and November service providers like lodge owners, the Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda wildlife Authority offer these familiarization trips. This may be done as an individual entity or joint effort in order to update tour operators about what is going on in the park and the country at large. These trips have helped narrow on the gap of tour operators being naïve about what they are selling to tourists.

Why Uganda Tour Operators Go For Familiarization Trips

Uganda Tour operators have embraced familiarization trips to selected sites in order to improve their knowledge about Uganda as a tourism destination. With Tourism sector emerging as Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earner, many players are now joining while those already in the industry trying to gain more skills to enable them offer the best service to their clients and to be able to compete with Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

The first trip was organized by Uganda Tourism Board with support from USAID and had about thirty eight tour operators taken to south western Uganda to visit the newly established gorilla highland trail in the districts of Kabale and Kisoro. Tour operators participated in several tour activities such as gorilla tracking, Batwa experience, canoe rides and hikes around lake Bunyonyi. Accommodation properties visited included Gorilla Valley Lodge, Kisoro Travellers rest inn, Nshongi Camp, Gorilla Safari lodge, Lake Mutanda Resort, Chameleon hill Lodge, Toms Home stay in lake Bungonyi, Crater Bay cottages, Overland Bunyonyi, Bushara Island, among others. At the end of this trip, most tour consultants can now sell this side of Uganda with confidence

Uganda Tourism Board further sponsored another familiarization trip to western Uganda and this time round a couple of tour operators had a chance to visit several attractions including Nakayima tree in Mubende that is aymbol of culture in that region, tea and banana plantations in Fort portal town, amabere ganyina mwiru in Nyakasura, ssempaya hot springs in Budibujo as well as semuliki game reserve

Bird Uganda and Uganda Safari guides association has been on the forefront of organizing birding excursions in and around Kampala to mabira forest, Botanical gardens, Kasenge and many more other places. This has in turn provided first had information to tour consultants enabling them to sell Uganda as a tourism destinations

As Uganda Tourism Board  which is the main marketing body for Uganda tourism ups it efforts to create awareness, the government should think of increasing its budget in the next financial year as the small budget allocated to UTB is not enough to do all the work.

On some occasion, Rwanda hosts tour operators across East Africa on fam trip in order to market its attractions better. Countries in East Africa cannot sell there products alone but require help from neighbors. On One fam trip they visited Nyungwe forest national park for canopy walks and nature walks, to Lake Kivu for boat cruises, to volcanoes National park for gorilla tracking and Kigali for Kigali city tour. Tour operators can now sell Rwanda as firsthand information was given to them

Can Private Familiarization Trips Be Arranged In Uganda

Indeed private familiarization trips can be arranged on a private basis especially for those internal or international agencies. Worldwide, although information is out on the internet and in magazines, on ground visiting of tourism attractions brings out the best picture of what actually transpired. The tour operator on ground may request for a discounted cost for tour operators from service providers he or she hopes to include in this fam trip.

Uganda safari itineraries have for years improved providing more realistic trip flows and timing to avoid our rating clients or over packing them with unrealistic activities.

When the staff on ground are given these fam trips by the companies they are working for, their knowledge of what they are selling is improved.

When Is The best Time To Plan A Uganda Familiarization safari

The tourism shoulder seasons or low seasons are the best for planning fam trips in Uganda. These seasons run from March to May and November. This is because less tourists are received in the country and service providers may have room for discounted prices too.

Since most of the tourism service providers like tours consultants, hotels, lodges, drivers guides and others have time on there sleeves to spare during this time, going in the field on a familiarization safari also relaxes their minds. The peak seasons come with challenges at times which wouldn’t be good to carry to the next peak season.

Even competition for space while at the tourism destination denies tour operators on a familiarization trip chance to information about the destination. An example is what is written by tourism bloggers in Uganda most of the time is from what is observed while on familiarization trips. In order to provide factual information about a destination or an attraction or uganda activity like gorilla trekking, one needs enough space for observation and not just hear say.

How Many People Are Allowed On A Uganda Tourism Familiarization Safari

Any number of people can go on a Uganda tourism fam trip as long as they suit the requirements of this safari.

All arrangements to enable this trip to happen must be put in place prior to travelling to the fields with a group of tour operators on a fam trip. No lodge or national Park can offer on ground-discounted prices to walk-in tour operators because they have not been planned for. They have to pay normal prices like others tourists do.

Any company that lies about a group of tourists being tour operators in order to get the discounted rates from service providers risks the chance of being penalized once discovered.

Where To Go On A Uganda Familiarization Safari

Uganda National parks

Uganda is endowed with about 10 national parks all gifted with some similar and different activities according to what is on ground. Some of the Uganda national parks include Murchison Falls National park, Queen Elizabeth National park, Bwindi impenetrable National park, Mgahinga National park, Lake Mburo National park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Semliki National park and others.

During a visit to some of these parks, you may get to see animals like lions, herds of elephants, bush bucks, water bucks, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, jackals, aardwolf, Klipspringer, hyenas, topis, mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, different monkeys, hartebeests and so many others.

These parks also possess scenic landforms only unique to each individual park like the rift valley and backdrop of Mountain Rwenzori in Queen Elizabeth National park, the three Virunga volcanoes of Mgahinga National park and others.

The Water activities Of Uganda

Uganda may be a land locked country but has a number of in border water bodies where various water activities can be arranged. Some of them include white water rafting, bungee jumping, fishing, launch trips on River Nile, visit source of River Nile in Jinja, Sun set cruise on Lake Victoria to mention but a few.

Uganda Birding On a Fam trip

Birding in Uganda is one of the unique attractions that the country is proud of. This is attributed to the still existing habitats that favor the survival of various bird species including those on the IUCN redlist.

Uganda Birding entities like Nature Uganda organize fam trips for interested tour companies especially those that specialize in this. There trips include recording bird sounds, observing and identifying birds in specific destinations like Mabamba swamp, Botanical gardens, Mpanga forest and so many others. Through these trips birding guides are equipped with knowledge on how to up their knowledge about birds in order to make it better for the tourists.

Uganda has so far over 1000 bird species and is one of the best African birding destinations

Uganda Cultural Sites

Uganda is a multicultural destination and indulging into the local life of the Ugandans gives you better knowledge, understanding and appreciation of this country.

Apart from the central government, most of the cultures have local leaders titled as kings and chiefs. In Buganda, the Kabaka is the cultural leader, In Bunyoro Omukama, in Tooro Omukama, In Busoga Kyabazinga and others.

Visiting Bulange, Twekobe in Mengo, Ssezibwa falls, Kasubi tombs, Naggalabi coronation site walks you into the life of the Buganda Kingdom.

Touring Karambi tombs, Tooro Palace, Mabere ga Nyinamwiru walks you into the culture of Tooro Kingdom

Visiting Uganda Education Centers

For a number of years, Uganda has been the best education center for East Africa. A number of presidents and others political leaders in east Africa have been scholars in Uganda at one time. A case in question is His Excellency Paul Kagame Of Rwanda, His excellence William Ruto Of Kenya and others.

These have gone through Ugandan institutions like Makerere University, which is one of the oldest Universities in Africa.

Uganda Religious Centers

Uganda is a multi-religious country and most religion have there headquarters within or close to Kampala the capital city.  The Catholics have Rubaga Cathedral, the Protestants have Namirembe Cathedral, Moslems have Kibuli Mosques and others.

Uganda is also famous for the Uganda Martyrs’ Day, which is celebrated by different religions in Namugongo on 3^rd June every year. People walk mile and miles every year from as far as Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and other parts of Uganda. Even other international Christians fly in to join the Uganda Christians on this day. This massive congregation of Christians is unique to Uganda in Africa.

Arranging familiazation trips these religious centers helps tour operators understands the religious growth in Uganda right from traditional religions to the now Christianity and Islam.

Mountaineering Safari Adventure In Uganda

Rwenzori hiking is one of the challenging mountaineering adventure in Uganda. By taking the Central Circuit, you start from Nyakalengija. Most of the tour operators have had no chance to participate in this thrilling activity although they sell the adventure.

Before climbing Mountain Kilimanjaro in Kenya, taking a hike on Rwenzori would be great choice to test your resistance to heights. The mountain is endowed with unique Flora like bamboo, Heather-Rupenea zone, Alpine zone and others.

You must pack the right hiking gears  like a good sleeping bag, rain gears, warmers, extra clothes but not so heavy to carry in your back pack, hiking boots capable of being fitted with crampons especially for when you reach the snowcapped peak. Even gumboots to help go through the boggy central circuit.

Community Visits On A Familiarization Uganda Safari

The people of Uganda are very friendly and welcoming but to understand them better, taking off a part of the day to interact with them on a personal basis gives you a better picture than just what people say.

Through activities like visiting the Batwa Pygmies, there past life has been kept alive although some things are out of practice. After they were evicted from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National park for mountain gorilla conservation their past had been buried.

Currently because of the community visits, they are able to take visitors through how life in the forest was. This fetches them some moneys, which helps carter for their day today life. Since they may not have chance to market what they do, in order to promote their community, tour operators can take a familiarization trip to their current congregation center to experience exactly what this unprivileged community sales.

The local communities around most of Uganda tourist attractions have to be included in the tourism industry if these sites are to be sustainably protected. This is because they have to learn to co-exists with for example wild animals like mountain gorillas because they are beneficiaries too. Once they are left out then chances of slowly destroying these wildlife habitats or even the attractions themselves are high.

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