The shoebill and the crested Crane will be the main tourist attractions Uganda will exhibit at the British Bird watching fair. The August 15 to 17 fair will be held at the Egleton Nature Reserve Oakham Rutland in London.
With 10% of the global bird species in Uganda and at least 50% species in Africa, Tourism Uganda is keen to taking advantage and promote Uganda as a birding destination. The exhibitors include a partnership of the Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the National Forest Authority (NFA) and the private sector mainly tour operators.
The London fair is the world’s first and the largest international bird watching annual event held every August at the Rutland Water in England. It is described as the birder’s Glastonbury. The show offers a large number of suppliers of binoculars, cameras, books, clothing and other birding equipment. It also attracts artists and tour operators.
Its participants also benefit from lectures and other attractions.
The first fair was held in 1989. All the organisers’ profits are donated to a charity: Birdlife international. Prior to the 2008 fair visitors had contributed 1,4888,000 pounds to the international Bird conservation agency.
A number of Ugandans tour companies are set to participate in the fair that will give them the chance to meet suppliers from all over the world. So far Primates Adventure company, Escape Tours, Lake Kitandara, Access Uganda, Brovad Tours, National Forest Authority and the Uganda Wildlife Authority have shown interest.
Since January, the country has participated in more than six international trade fairs in the Netherland, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Spain and South Africa.
Uganda earned around $500m from tourism last year, according to Edwin Muzahura, the marketing and public relations officer at Uganda Tourist Board.
Over 770.000 tourists were registered last year, including those that attend the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala last November.
The figures include people visiting for business, conferences and cross-border trade. Uganda’s tourism sector ha been dwarfed by that in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania which have a long traditional as major destinations for travellers to Africa.
Muzahura said Uganda’s history had not favoured its reputation. Its despotic leader Idi Amin “depicted last year in the Hollywood Scotland destroyed economic prospects by expelling thousands of businessmen of Asian Origin