The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)has introduced a new online booking system for tour operators marking a drastic improvement in the delivery and management of their reservations and booking systems for gorilla bookings and other pristine attractions and wildlife in the protected areas.
This reflects the UWA’s commitment as a leader in championing sustainability through the adoption of technologies enhancing its mission to economically manage and protect wildlife and protected areas.
The development was announced by the Director, of Business Development Stephen Sanyi Masaba together with a technical team from UWA led by the Director of Finance and Administration Jimmy Mugisa convened an online Zoom meeting attended by 180 tour operators on 19th June ,2024. Also on hand was Michael Nyererere of ICT Operations & FinTech Manager KAPS (U) Ltd the systems developers.
All tour operators including members of different trade associations were recognized and welcomed for the discussion .”We have experienced challenges but are now satisfied that we can develop a system from the booking to the audit stage. This is one of the enablers to enhance e-commerce for more efficient business “said Masaba.
He further revealed that over the last year, UWA has been working with KAPS (u) LTD to develop a booking and revenue collection system that will improve efficiency and ease the process of booking and paying for products and services.
Previously one had to drive to UWA reservations which is time-consuming and inefficient.
Functionalities:
The system has online functionality for licensed tour operators to access and reserve permits which they can pay for using any of the payment methods including Mobile Money or online payment and is configured for transactions in different currencies.
It is integrated with the financial system so that tour operators cannot only track transactions but also offer faster services to their clients in real-time.
It also includes provision for access to primate parks and is now being rolled out to the savannah parks.
It removes the need for cash transactions and now provides a trial and one can transact for all park products and services.
It has lots of controls to prevent fraudulent activities that have dogged the organization in the recent past.
Tour operators shall be able to receive message alerts and validation of documents shall be QR code enabled on the ground at the park. It has been designed to confirm usage after the service has expired.
Masaba warned against hoarding of permits which shall attract penalties. He added that UWA staff have been trained and are now ready to support, he said.
Mugisa reassured attendees that the self-service portal shall reduce paperwork with minimal need to carry documentation and reduce the need for physically going to the office.
Michael Nyererere reiterated that tour operators can now book, and pay for permits remotely. Every Uganda Tourism Board ( UTB) user-licenced Operator will be registered with their password, be able to log onto the backend system and make payments print the permit(if necessary), and validate at the park entrance.
It is a centralized system and each park shall have separate permits which won’t be transferable except in advance and only approved at the head office.
It is a web-based system compatible with Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
Walkins shall be provided for as a special category with 20 percent of permits provided for Ugandan or foreign residents.
Other procedures for booking, rescheduling, and cancellation remain unchanged.
In April 2024 UWA signed up to the global Climate Friendly Network linked to the SDG’s built into the Paris 1.5 2015 Agreement committing to 2050 climate-neutral ambition.
Started in October 2023, UWA’s adaption of the new booking system is, therefore, an Actionable Plan that fits into Climate Friendly Travel ambitions, the other being the adoption of QR Codes in place of physical brochures witnessed at the recently concluded Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) in May, a pathway to attracting high-value traveler.
