The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is optimistic that it will hit record high visitor numbers this year, after a historic 367 869 tourists visited the country’s protected areas in 2022.

Before COVID, in 2019, 320 000 was the highest number of visitors coming to Uganda’s protected areas, but this was surpassed last year. “367 869 has been the biggest number we have ever registered in the history of the Uganda Wildlife Authority,” said Dorcus Rukundo Twesigomwe, the Business Development Manager at UWA.

Uganda boasts 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves, 13 sanctuaries, and five community wildlife areas, all under the management of UWA.

Twesigomwe attributed the increase in tourism to the popularity of outdoor experiences in Uganda’s national parks.

UWA Executive Director, Sam Mwandha, said the country was on course to beat the number of visitors recorded last year.

"For us to reach that number (367 869 visitors) this quarter, we only need 56 000 visitors and I am confident we will get more than 60 000 and we will go above. We are doing better than ever before," Mwandha said.