Having successfully completed an eight- day tour of Uganda, a delegation from India comprising Bollywood stars and members of Travel Agents of India (TAFI) has today, Monday left the country.
The delegation was full of praise for the country’s rich and numerous attractions.
The group, led by Bharat Dabholkar, a distinguished film director, actor, writer and advertising guru, arrived in the country on Wednesday February 28, 2019 and almost immediately flew out to Kidepo National Park.
The team started off with a game drive and sight-seeing, giving them just a glimpse of the diverse wildlife in Uganda before proceeding to meet the Karimojong in their indigenous homesteads, the Manyatta.
The team also went gorilla tracking at Bwindi, visited Queen Elizabeth National Park and also enjoyed a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel, among other activities.
As they concluded their Ugandan visit, the team met President Yoweri Museveni yesterday at State House Nakasero where they discussed several issues.
The President urged them to encourage more tourists from India to come and experience the beauty of Uganda. He also said that linkages between India and Uganda have the potential to boost trade and investment.
Dabholkar, who has directed and starred in over 17 Bollywood films promised the President that they would promote Uganda as a tourist destination for Indians and also as a location for filmng Bollywood movies where Ugandans will participate.
He also stated that they will bring big film tourists to Uganda saying that film tourism will be a big deal.
Asked how his Uganda visit was, Dabholkar couldn’t hide his excitement, saying he would gladly jump onto another opportunity to visit Uganda.
“We came to Uganda to also experience the numerous stories we had been told about this place (Uganda) and to be honest, this is an extremely beautiful country. There’s a lot for one to take in here and I think I would need another trip to experience more of this,” he said.
Dabholkar was particularly excited about the Gorilla tracking experience and the Manyatta cultural attributes.
He noted, “Niche tourism with special package like the Gorilla tracking is very easy to sell and for our team this is a take home package for all.”