07/09/10 – Kampala, Uganda

Batwa Trails, a look into Batwa life in the forest

The USAID-STAR (Sustainable Tourism in the Albertine Rift) Program, supported by USAID-Uganda and implemented by the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) will be launching many private sector-based initiatives that focus on sales and marketing of community and conservation linked tourism in the Albertine Rift. During a recent tour operator survey, USAID-STAR and tour operators discussed visitors’ growing demand for authentic experiences with local people as a vital aspect of planning their vacations. This was followed up with the first of many Community Support FAM trips, the Batwa Trails of Bwindi and Mgahinga. The objectives of the FAM trips are improved community tourism enterprises, strengthened relationships between tour operators and communities, awareness from press coverage for both the tour operators and community tourism providers that participated. The intended results of the FAM trips are increased sales of the community product, increased enterprise revenue, increased household income from alternative livelihoods and decreased illegal incidences in the regions.

Six of Uganda’s biggest tour operators as well as three media representatives participated.  With support from International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), the operators visited two “in-development” community tourism products that provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about Batwa livelihoods while supporting them in preserving their cultural traditions as they adjust to their new way of life. After each product experience a reception was held and the operators participated in panel discussions to field questions from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), IGCP, United Organization for Batwa Development in Uganda (UOBUD), Uganda Community Tourism Association (UCOTA) and Nkuringo Conservation and Development Foundation (NCDF) on their market knowledge of what their tourists would like. Their critiques will be taken and applied to the final developments of the two products, ensuring they are market driven and therefore sold competitively. In general the tour operators were so happy about the Batwa trail in Mgahinga and they are willing to start selling the product at the suggested amount of $80 to the tourists, the cave was the most exiting activity on the Batwa trial in Mgahinga.

Solimar International is a managing and implementation partner of the GSTA and the STAR-Uganda Program.

Click for more information about STAR-Uganda

07/01/10 – Washington, DC

June 2010 marked the beginning of an alliance between Solimar International and National Geographic Maps. This exciting initiative provides a means to promote sustainable tourism destinations with innovative destination media solutions such as  online interactive mapguides, paper maps, multimedia integrated solutions and interactive atlas solutions. Mr. Jim Dion will lead the initiative and holds the role of both Business Development Associate for the Maps Division at the National Geographic Society and Vice President of Destination Media Solution for Solimar International.

Click to learn more

07/01/10 – Eugene, Oregon

The National Geographic Central Cascades Geotourism MapGuide was presented with the Eugene, Cascades and Coast Partnership Award last month. The Award was in recognition of the collaboration between the project’s hundreds of partners, including National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations,  Travel Oregon, Rural Development Initiatives and numerous other agencies. These partners worked with several committees and work groups, and thousands of participating businesses across two states to create the printed Geotourism MapGuide and accompanying website, featuring dozens of businesses, landmarks and other attractions across Lane County. Todd Davidson and Kristin Dahl of Travel Oregon, one of the project’s collaborators, accepted the award on behalf of all the partners during the Travel Lane County Annual Industry Appreciation and Awards Dinner. 

Click to read the press release about the award

05/08/10 – Kampala, Uganda

A Ugandan documentary on mountain gorillas used in the 'Friend A Gorilla' campaign in late 2009 has won second place in the prestigious TourFilm Brazil International Tourism Film Festival. Uganda’s submission, a documentary, titled ‘Uganda: Friends of the Gorilla’, is a short film starring Hollywood celebrities Jason Biggs and Simon Curtis, and depicts a wildlife adventure in Uganda tracking mountain gorillas. The winning documentary was shot to raise publicity for Uganda’s mountain gorillas and awareness for conservation efforts. There are only about 780 mountain gorillas in the whole world, all located in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of these, more than half (about 380) are in Uganda.

The film was directed and produced by Rachel McDonald, and shot during the launch of the www.friendagorilla.org campaign in 2009. The film was first screened in December at Sony Studios in Los Angeles, California to great aplomb, attended by, among others, Chris Klein, Chelsey Handler and Rhys Coiro.

Solimar International is a managing partner of the USAID funded STAR - Uganda (Sustainable Tourism in the Albertine Rift) program.

For more information, visit www.friendagorilla.org  www.star-uganda.org  www.tourfilmbrazil.com and www.cifft.com