Tour operators in Uganda are worried that their businesses may suffer due to a recent scandal involving the illegal sale of gorilla tracking permits. The scandal has resulted in significant financial losses for the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), exceeding 11.2 billion Shillings (USD 3 million).
As a consequence of this scandal, 16 UWA staff members have been suspended, and there are concerns about the potential involvement of some tour operators. However, these tour operators strongly deny any wrongdoing, asserting that they are merely customers of UWA’s services and do not have access to the authority’s systems.
Herbert Byaruhanga, the President of the Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) and the General Secretary of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), is worried about how this scandal might impact Uganda’s global tourism industry. He believes that those implicated may experience temporary setbacks in their businesses.
Byaruhanga places the responsibility for the situation squarely on UWA and calls for comprehensive investigations into the sale of gorilla and chimpanzee permits, as well as entrance tickets. He emphasizes that such fraudulent activities had been previously reported to the Ministry of Tourism and UWA, but no action was taken. According to him, it is crucial to restore Uganda’s image before addressing internal issues within UWA, as negative coverage may deter potential visitors. Tourists typically plan their activities well in advance, so this could impact the industry for the next two years.
Sivvy Tumusiime, the AUTO Chairperson, expresses the association’s desire for a clean industry. She highlights the challenges tour operators are already facing in recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns, ADF attacks, the Anti-Homosexuality Act, and the emergence of fake permits.
Wilberforce Begumisa from Africa Adventure Safaris, one of the companies allegedly involved in the scandal, calls for responsible actions from UWA and questions why allegations were made before completing thorough investigations. He emphasizes the challenging times his company is facing.
