Gorilla permit and chimp tracking permit fees to be increased
The Wildlife Authority’s Director of Tourism and Business Services, made a major pronouncement outlining several changes in tariffs including an ostensible augment in gorilla permits from USD 600 to USD 700 per permit incentivized with the opportunity for free park entrance to Semliki and Mt. Elgon National Parks for one day. Also increased the chimp tracking fees in Kibale Forest National Park from USD 150 to USD 200 per permit starting 2020.
Other changes comprise a huge diminution in proficient fees for filming of mountain gorillas from USD 4,000 down to 30% of gorilla permit fees, a 50% diminution for nature walk fees, and diminution in entrance fees to USD 50 in Mt. Elgon National Park. Gorilla habituation experience vestiges unchanged at USD 1,500 per permit.
On prior session with local tour operators, many of whom botched to secure gorilla permits for their clients due to record stipulated this high season, he was flanked by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Sales Manager, who announced that UWA shall now salt away 80% of permits for bookings through Ugandan registered tour operators and 20% for the rest of the public.
The new corollary system shall also accept online payments as well as imbursement via mobile phones (mobile money) locally presented by local telecom operators. He supplementary urged tour operators to kowtow with the ongoing inspection and licensing exercise being carried out by UTB as criteria to access the 80% permits.
The board also announced that visitor numbers to national parks grew by 10% from 303,000 in 2016/17 to 344,000 in the 2017/18 pecuniary year.
Gorilla permits sales amplified from 40,714 to 43,124 with peak season sales between July and October at over 100%, averaging of 73% for the last monetary year. 94% were booked by foreign non-residents, 2% by foreign residents, and 4 % by Ugandans and East Africans.
Murchison Falls National Park documented the largest number of visitors of 104,000 followed by Queen Elizabeth National Park with over 84,000. All parks excluding Semliki and Mt. Elgon grew in visitor numbers.
The CEO outlined the achievements and plans of UTB since taking office in April of this year as well as development of a premeditated plan; reassign of the Meetings Incentives Conferences and Events (MICE) Convention Bureau from the parent Ministry of Tourism Wildlife & Antiquities to UTB; inter- and intra-sectoral partnerships between UTB and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the aim of redeployment market destination representatives; constitution of a Crisis, Security and Safety Committee; a health technical working group to monitor and restructure reporting on zoonotic diseases; set up of a tourism venture fund for the private sector; prerequisite of tax incentives and implementation of the tourism tariff provided for in the Tourism Act 2008; and regular media stakeholder rendezvous. In addition, she announced that all tactical equator crossings in the country had been marked for development among others.
In 2017, when the Rwanda Development Board announced an increase in the price of Mountain Torilla Tracking Permits from USD 800 to USD 1,500, the Uganda Wildlife Authority opted to preserve permits at USD 600 until now prompting a gush in demand for gorilla trekking permits mainly from Rwanda-based tour operators who opted to book permits just across the border mainly in Mgahinga, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhija.
Unconvinced by demands from frantic tour operators who have lost out suggesting that perhaps UWA permit individual gorilla families to be tracked twice a day, lessening in tracking time or even escalating the number of trackers per group from 8, UWA is obdurate not to reduce the value of the experience or to be entrapped by short-sighted temptations of augmented revenue at the expense of the environment in tandem with its mandate and mission.
Speaking of the raise in the number of permits since gorilla tracking started in 1993, He concluded: “From 2 mountain gorilla groups then, today, we have 19 groups and 152 permits per day in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP. So, we have been responding to trends and needs of a Uganda Safari.
“But there must be limits of acceptable use. The demand is voracious especially in the peak season. Let business not drive us crazy to destroy the resource we hold dear.” Changes take effect on July 1, 2020.
