Uganda is a comparative newcomer to today’s international tourism scene, a factor which has benefited both the country’s natural environment and the tourism experience it offers. It has avoided the trip of courting the mass market and instead is following the path of eco-tourism. This ensures that any growth in visitor numbers is sustainable and that development is not detrimental to Uganda’s wilderness attractions. This careful husbandry of its resources means that visitors are still able to observe, albeit under strictly controlled conditions, families of chimpanzee and mountain gorilla in the wild, whose sadly depleted population make them such a rare sight in Africa.

Uganda boasts some of the most stunning scenery on the continent, from its shimmering lakes, lofty mountains, mysterious forests and game-parks teeming with wildlife. New national parks are being established, while the private sector is opening up new safari lodges and camps, sympathetically built to blend in with surrounding scenery. The traditional hospitality of the Uganda people is another important drawcard. The attractions of Uganda were identified by Sir Winston Churchill, in his book "My African Journey." Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa.