The global economy has affected the travel industry with many industry experts  including tour operators, hotels, travel agents and tourism organizations reporting a slow down in the number of tourist arrivals.

Those who decide to take on the tours prefer the budget type, singling out high expenses involved in travel. Most of the top expensive destinations of the world have been largely avoided, instead tourists have decided to take on nearby holiday destinations or activities that have few days itinerary.

We are seeing a meltdown,” Wakesa told Reuters. “We may have about 20 percent of operators closing if this trend continues for the next 12 months.”

Typical of many developing nations, Uganda’s tourism-dependent economy is likely to suffer heavily as cost-conscious holidaymakers opt for less exotic destinations.

Relaxing in the bar of a new budget lodge, overlooking the cactus-strewn Queen Elizabeth National Park, Robert Pinter explains that many friends in the United States are cutting back on foreign holidays, preferring to take cheap “stay-cations.”
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He recently lost his job at Toyota which, like the rest of the American car industry, has suffered severely.

“Stay-cation is when you stay home for a vacation. People are doing more activities a short driving distance from where they live,” he said.

Pinter, by contrast, seized the opportunity of extended time off to experience Uganda’s mountain gorillas, track chimpanzees and indulge in a low-cost safari.

Until recently, Wakesa said, Uganda had been experiencing a tourism boom with arrival numbers soaring.

Henry Oketcho of Explore Uganda Safaris is now the new chairperson of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators. He was voted in office at a function conducted by Jovia Akika the former state minister of tourism.

Mr Oketcho replaces Mel Gormley of Classic Safaris who has been the chairperson the last two years/

Other members include Cam Mcleay of Adrift Adventure Company who is the deputy, Babra Vanhelleputte of Asyanut Safaris and the secretary, Jane Golding as the new treasurer and Baluku Geoffrey as the Public Relations Officer.

“We hope the new committee will unite tour operators and bring on board all of them to fight for a major cause,” said Geoffrey Baluku, the public relations officer.

Baluku said the new team would ensure transparency in the distribution of the permits to clients, as well as working with UWA on issues that affect the tourism industry.