Uganda could miss out on as much as $2 billion in tourism revenue this year due to travel restrictions implemented after the coronavirus outbreak, according to Tourism Minister Godfrey Ssuubi Kiwanda. Most visitors to the country are from the U.S. and Europe, along with Japan, China and India. The country plans to reopen Entebbe International Airport about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital, Kampala, later this month as lockdown measures are eased, Kiwanda said. Uganda is in talks with lenders including the World Bank to support the industry, he said, without disclosing the amount sought. The East African nation, a popular gorilla-trekking and safari destination, recorded 1.3 arrivals in the year through June 2019, earning it $1.6 billion. Before the onset of Covid-19 the government had forecast this year’s number at 1.5 million, Kiwanda said by phone Thursday.
SOURCE: BLOOMBERG
More Stories
Local Footballers Protect Ghana’s Sea Turtles
Economic Pinch Forces Sudan’s Hand
Kenyan Stowaway Recuperating after Gruelling Flight
It’s Important to have Satellites Collecting Data about Africa, for Africa
African Innovation is Attracting More Interest from Global Investors
Was the Recent Vogue Cover The Best Way to Celebrate Black Beauty?
Kenya Selected for Listing in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices
Malawi President Takes a Long Hard Look at His Cabinet
Africa’s Chief Health Leader Hopes to Put the Brain Drain into Reverse
Burkina Faso is the Latest West African State to Have a Coup
Las Vegas Resident Enjoys a Three-week Adventure through Egypt
Traveling along Namibia’s Skeleton Coast