According to the deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ms Sheila Ngatia, said diverse aspects in Ankole such as traditional wear, traditional foods and long horned cattle can be repackaged as tourism tools.
“The Ankole culture is a very rich one. Can we do something small here that doesn’t interfere with the environment, but we are able to showcase the culture that people can come to experience? And again, the community should be part of that through working as cultural guides in cultural tourism,” she said.
Ms Ngatia said the region also has good food which can be a good tool of agrotourism.
“Your food here doesn’t have so much pesticides. I would want that we even come here to meet with ministry of tourism, Uganda tourism board and others,” she said, urging Ankole to borrow a leaf from Tooro kingdom’s Ekyooto festival.
“I don’t know if some of you followed Ekyooto ha mpango in Fort Portal, which was a very rich festival with hundreds of people. I would love to do or come up with something similar so that we also benefit from God-given endowments,” she added
Ms Ngatia was on Tuesday touring environmental projects run by the Ministry of Water and Environment in the districts of Sheema, Bushenyi, Ntungamo and Kabale.
The Ministry of Water and environment, in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture Animal husbandry and Fisheries and Uganda National Meteorological Authority with funding from Green Climate Fund and UNDP is implementing an eight-year wetland restoration project in 24 districts of Southwestern and Eastern Uganda.
The project focuses on building and harnessing wetland restoration, livelihood enhancement, and providing early warning systems to ensure that the resilience of communities, wetlands ecosystems and associated catchments.
Ms Ngatia was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Water and environment, Ministry of Agriculture Animal husbandry and Fisheries, Ministry of Finance, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda National Meteorological Authority and leaders from benefiting district local governments.