Uganda is one of Africa’s most bio-diverse destination, it’s a landlocked country and an East African country though well placed with in the very heart of Africa with superb ecosystems that range from swampy vegetation which gradually merge into rolling savannahs and misty tropical rain forests in the south west.

Still Uganda is among the only three countries in the world that host the mountain gorillas well known to be critically endangered and it encompasses the highest number as compared to all the other countries, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo.

Though the country is well blessed with many other wild animals and primates, many visitors around the world opt for the critically endangered mountain gorillas, the country’s most treasured, prestigious and mysterious creatures to come and watch them while in their wild. This has enabled the country to realize a lot of benefits through sell of mountain gorilla permits, hence increasing the country’s GDP.

Always tourists tend to reconsider their money whenever they travel, therefore Uganda’s gorilla tourism has been developed on the basis of pro poor and ecofriendly strategy making it relevant to developing rural communities. This has insighted also more tourists who desire to travel to areas that are exercising sustainable tourism development to consider paying visit to these forest giants.

Gorilla tourism has led to development of several infrastructure in local communities inclusive of hospitals, schools, better roads, hotels and lodges thus creating relative jobs to community natives.

Gorilla tourism has led to support of local communities’ project by international agencies such as the international gorilla conservation {IGCP}. Other projects include the integrated conservation through development and multiple use projects which allow locals to still access resources from the forest.

Gorilla tourism has enabled conservationists to eradicate poaching with in Bwindi impenetrable forest. Much as most of the poachers in this area use snares but they do not intend to cause harm to the gorillas, however these gorillas have been victims too, to note is that no gorilla has ever died of poaching through snaring since there has always been immediate interventions by veterinarians and all this has been possible due to gorilla tourism. Therefore it should be noted that right now there is no more poaching of both gorillas as well as other animals in this region.

Gorilla tourism has led to development of other tourism products whose contributions go direct to support local communities such as the Buniga forest walk that is majorly run by the Batwa and the Batwa trail experience in Mgahinga national park, here the locals act as guides and at the same time potters which too enable them to get a hold of income from tourism.

Gorilla tourism has led to realization of fundamentals of volunteering in local communities around Bwindi, a good example is the Bwindi community hospital. This started executing its services to the locals just under a mere tree shed but due to high flow of tourists coming for gorilla trekking safaris, some choose to stay and volunteer, and other contribute to funding, it’s now one of the best health care facility in the region.

Requirements for gorilla tracking. In order for any tourist to have a mountain gorilla trekking experience, they are advised to have a gorilla permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority and a single permit allows you to interact with these creatures for an hour. A group of a maximum 8 individuals is allowed to visit these gorillas in their habitats on single day. Therefore Uganda having 13 gorilla families, each is visited only once a day. This is done to enable Uganda’s mountain gorillas to enjoy maximum privacy whilst in their natural habitats.

All the above benefits have been achieved due to great deal of those exceptional tourists that have happened not to sit in their hotels’ and lodges’ rooms after gorilla tracking, rather tempting to move around and participate in community walks which has fostered the above benefits.

Considering all those benefits, the locals are encouraged to support the conservation of the mountain gorillas, which was not the case before these locals had registered some of the benefits from gorilla tourism.