Partners
Uganda National Forestry Authority, United States Forest Service, African Wildlife Foundation
Duration
Fall 2022-Ongoing
Objective
Develop and Instill Ecotourism Standards & Guidelines for the Uganda National Forestry Authority
About the Project
The Uganda National Forest Authority (NFA) are the stewards of large areas of forest lands throughout Uganda, some of these landscapes have tourism operations within them, while others have tourism potential. NFA and its partners engaged NatureScapes to review their current tourism operations and systems and create a set of standardized ecotourism guidelines and standards from which NFA can work from to manage and develop tourism operations in their forests.
The guidelines and standards provide a user-friendly and practical framework for NFA staff to plan, oversee and monitor tourism operations in forests. This is complemented by a suite of tools and templates to help NFA implement.
A second phase of the project is about to develop a training program for NFA staff to institutionalize the guidelines and standards into NFA standard operating procedures and ensure that staff understand and can implement the guidelines and standards.
Planned Outcomes
Reviewed and provided guidance on the approach and planning framework underpinning NFA’s management of ecotourism activities in forests
Created practical guidelines and standards for developing and managing eco-tourism in NFA forests
Created tools and templates, such as a standard tourism concession document, tendering procedures and NFA staff action item checklists to help NFA implement the guidelines and standards
Developed a straight-forward monitoring framework to ensure the ecotourism guidelines and standards are followed
Developing a training program for NFA staff to understand and internalize the guidelines and standards
Planned Results
Improve NFA staff capacity to manage tourism
Increase revenues for NFA, conservation & communities
Enhance the tourism experience offered in NFA lands
