4th Karamoja Tourism Coordination Platform

Tuesday, 13th December 2022 – Regional tourism and hospitality stakeholders congregated in Moroto for the 4th edition of the  Karamoja Tourism Coordination Platform.

Karamoja Tourism Coordination Platform

The purpose of the platform is to strengthen coordination, promotion, and preservation of tourism ecosystem services relevant for job skills creation while ensuring continuous benefits to locals and economies.

The initiative is spearheaded by Support to the Implementation of Skilling Uganda (SSU) implemented by the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel) Uganda, District Local government authorities and chaired by the Kara-Tunga Foundation.

The structure plays coordination and governance roles in line with Uganda national tourism policy.

The participants

Private sector tourism and hospitality players, Wardens of Conservation Areas managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority, Management of Protected Areas of National Forestry Authority, Local government Tourism Officers of all 9 districts and the Chairpersons of the 3 Community Conservation Areas.

The official programme

1. Introduction
2. Opening remarks (Chief Administrative Officer, Moroto District)
3. Reflection on action points from previous meeting (Kara-Tunga)
4. Sensitising on licensing and policies
   • Uganda Government Licensing of Tourism professionals and businesses (Karamoja Tourism Academy)
   • Uganda National Forest Authorities, policies, challenges and opportunities for the private sector (National Forest Authority)
   • Uganda Wildlife Authority policies, challenges and opportunities for the private sector (Uganda Wildlife Authority)
5. Introduction Karamoja Regional Tourism association.
6. Group work. A collaborative process to design the draft constitution.
   • Name, Vision, Mission, Values, Objectives, Leadership, Membership.
7. Presentation of groups
8. Commitments and action points
9. Presentation of Enabel Karamoja
10. Closing remarks (Resident District Commissioner, Moroto District)

Reflection on action points from previous meeting

Read the article about the 3rd Karamoja Tourism Coordination Platform.

1. District Local Government tasks tourism private sector stakeholders to register with District Community Development Officer and Sub Community Development Officer.
2. Private sector tourism stakeholders tasks themselves to spearhead communication and sensitisation of District Local Government and Sub Counties on the tourism and hospitality sector in general.
3. Formation of a regional tourism association with a (paid) members structure for the sustainability of the coordination platform, to streamline the communication and advocate for regional tourism developmental activities. Tourism stakeholders will start the process during the nest regional tourism stakeholder meeting, taking place in November 2022. The registration is already concluded under the name of ‘Karamoja Tourism Association’ as organisation limited by guarantee.
4. Advocate for skilling in tourism and hospitality of stakeholders from freelance guides to operational staff, company management and company owners.
5. Government agencies and District Local Government are called upon to share policies related to tourism and conservation with tourism stakeholders.
6. Development of an online platform where mapped tourist sites are presented to the public.
7. Pro-active promotion of Public Private Partnerships in regional tourism development and investment.
8. Environmental conservation by utilisation of indigenous knowledge and planting of indigenous trees.
9. Stakeholders are called upon to diversify the regional tourist products by specialisation through doing market research, benchmarking and trainings in marketing.

Sensitising on licensing and policies

UWA:

• The new government wildlife policy highlights the promotion of wildlife-based enterprises and related projects that could positively impact on conservation and livelihoods of the people. Examples are on-farm breeding for trade and through farming, ranching.
• Potential of mountaineering, archeology and the diversity in traditions and customs within the region.
• There’s need for mapping and profiling the tourist sites.
• Due to the regional land-tenure system, the community has a huge potential to benefit from conservation through the development of conservancies.

NFA:

• NFA’s Karamoja range has no active private ecotourism or other forest-based services investor yet. Mount Kadam and Mount Moroto had been given out years ago, but the concession was revoked due to failure to start.
• Investors in other central forest reserves are currently answering the growing demand for timber products.
• Private investors can apply for a concession by replying to a bidding advert from the NFA. Or by directly writing to the ED of the agency with a ground proposal to conduct an activity within a designated protected area.
• NFA gives out a license to operate with conditions, terms and conditions and payment of fees. The agency gives fines or can sentence to prison on failure to comply.
• The Karamoja Range Manager also shared that they’re facing big challenges with reinforcement of the laws. The biggest challenge raised is the compromising by government officials.

Karamoja Tourism Academy

• Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is a statutory organisation mandated to promote Uganda as a preferred tourism destination both domestically and internationally, monitor and enforce standards in the tourism sector through inspection, registration, licensing and classification of tourism facilities and services as stipulated in the Uganda Tourism Act (2008), Section 7, j & kUTB reminds all proprietors of tourism facilities and services which include; accommodation establishments (caravan park, camping park, cottage, eco-lodge, guest house, homestay, hostel, hotel, lodge, motel, safari or tented camp, serviced apartment and villa), restaurants (including café and coffee shop) tour companies, tour guides, tour and travel companies, travel agencies to register their facilities and services and acquire annual licenses accordingly. Companies which will fail to comply will risk closure of their facilities and operations.

  A list of registered and licensed tourism facilities and services and those undergoing registration and licensing processes will be published on Uganda Tourism Board website; https://utb.go.ug/

Other points raised

• District Tourism Officials shared to have ten million Ugandan Shillings per year to conduct activities. This budget is insufficient following to the officials. They are asking development partners for financial support.
• Members raised the need to explore the potential of minerals tourism, arts and crafts. This can potentially create opportunities for the communities living in the mineral rich areas.
• African Wildlife Foundation based in Karenga is working on the development of an Ostrich farm in Karamoja.
• The concern was raised on the protection of rock art paintings and shrines in the protected areas as well as the mining extraction and exploration areas.

 

Action points: Karamoja Regional Tourism association

Karamoja regional tourism and hospitality stakeholders celebrate the launch of ‘Karamoja Tourism and Hospitality Association’, aimed at a community-led and sustainable tourism sector in the Karamoja sub-region of northern Uganda.

decentralised approach. Therefore an interim committee has been initiated, with representatives of all 9 districts. These representatives are tasked to create a district tourism and hospitality committees, wherefrom a chosen representative will be present in the regional association.

These district tourism and hospitality committees will include: private sector, local government, conservation agencies, development partners, community groups, traditional leaders and opinion makers.

During the 4th Karamoja Tourism Coordination Platform meeting, the participants developed the foundation of the new association during a series of group work and discussions. Read the draft name, vision, mission, objectives and values of the new association below.

Name

Karamoja Tourism and Hospitality Association

Vision

To be a leading tourist destination that is sustainable and respectful for people, cultures and environment.

Mission

To promote tourism and hospitality products and services for sustainable development, through capacity building, conservation of nature and cultural heritage.

Objectives

• To build the capacity of stakeholders to improve the quality of products and services
• To market Karamoja as a tourist destination (inter)nationally
• To promote protection and preservation of cultural heritage
• To involve, sensitise and build capacity of the community
• To promote environmental conservation

Values

• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Team work
• Transparency & Accountability
• Respect

Closing remarks of the RDC Moroto

• Tourism can change the face of the region by showing the outside world what Karamoja has to offer.

Photos