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Uganda suspends domestic tourism as COVID-19 cases surge
By Xinhua Published: Jun 26, 2021 08:32 PM
An African buffalo sculpture is seen in Kampala, Uganda, June 25, 2021. Uganda has suspended domestic tourism amid rising cases of COVID-19, a tourism official said here Friday. Uganda used to earn over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually from the tourism sector, but the country's tourism earnings in 2020 dropped by 73 percent due to the pandemic, according to the tourism ministry.Photo:Xinhua

An African buffalo sculpture is seen in Kampala, Uganda, June 25, 2021. Uganda has suspended domestic tourism amid rising cases of COVID-19, a tourism official said here Friday. Uganda used to earn over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually from the tourism sector, but the country's tourism earnings in 2020 dropped by 73 percent due to the pandemic, according to the tourism ministry.Photo:Xinhua


 
A man wearing a face mask walks past the closed gate of Uganda Museum in Kampala, Uganda, June 25, 2021. Uganda has suspended domestic tourism amid rising cases of COVID-19, a tourism official said here Friday. Uganda used to earn over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually from the tourism sector, but the country's tourism earnings in 2020 dropped by 73 percent due to the pandemic, according to the tourism ministry.Photo:Xinhua

A man wearing a face mask walks past the closed gate of Uganda Museum in Kampala, Uganda, June 25, 2021. Uganda has suspended domestic tourism amid rising cases of COVID-19, a tourism official said here Friday. Uganda used to earn over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually from the tourism sector, but the country's tourism earnings in 2020 dropped by 73 percent due to the pandemic, according to the tourism ministry.Photo:Xinhua


 
Giraffe sculptures are seen in Kampala, Uganda, June 25, 2021. Uganda has suspended domestic tourism amid rising cases of COVID-19, a tourism official said here Friday. Uganda used to earn over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually from the tourism sector, but the country's tourism earnings in 2020 dropped by 73 percent due to the pandemic, according to the tourism ministry.Photo:Xinhua

Giraffe sculptures are seen in Kampala, Uganda, June 25, 2021. Uganda has suspended domestic tourism amid rising cases of COVID-19, a tourism official said here Friday. Uganda used to earn over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually from the tourism sector, but the country's tourism earnings in 2020 dropped by 73 percent due to the pandemic, according to the tourism ministry.Photo:Xinhua


Uganda has suspended domestic tourism amid rising cases of COVID-19, a tourism official said here Friday.

Lilly Ajarova, chief executive officer of Uganda Tourism Board, told Xinhua by telephone that the COVID-19 National Taskforce made the decision to suspend local tourism but allowed foreigners to keep coming in.

"Everyone should remain in one place in a bid to curb the spread," she said.

Ajarova said the tourism sector was picking up before the new lockdown. "We were running a successful campaign aimed at encouraging domestic tourism. The lockdown will set us back."

She added that the new wave of the pandemic will also affect international arrivals as some countries have placed Uganda on their red lists.

Uganda used to earn over 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annually from the tourism sector, but the country's tourism earnings in 2020 dropped by 73 percent due to the pandemic, according to the tourism ministry.