Uganda is struggling with a public relations disaster that could put in disarray paid efforts to revive the tourism sector, its biggest foreign exchange earner, after suspected rebels killed a visiting British couple on honeymoon and their driver in a national park.
Following the attack blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Tuesday, the government deployed the army, erected roadblocks and beefed up patrols.
The killings happened in the Kasese area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The attackers also burned the victims’ vehicle.
The news shook the sector, that was just getting back to its feet after being impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
Before the pandemic, Uganda recorded about $1.6 billion from tourism. Recent statistics by the Ministry of Tourism show the country recorded a 59 percent increase in international visitor arrivals to 814,508 in 2022, signalling recovery. The report indicated that visitor exports generated $736 million, representing 12.2 percent of total exports in 2022 and 41.4 percent of service exports.
