Welcome to STAR-Uganda! Find all the information about the USAID (Sustainable Tourism in the Albertine Rift) Program. Learn about Uganda’s Albertine Rift, great places to see, things to do, sustainable tourism development, conservation and more. The Albertine Rift of Uganda is famous for its’ variety of landscapes and ecosystems and biological diversity. This diversity is maintained in the continuous string of forest reserves and wildlife protected areas. The areas extend from Mgahinga National Park in the south to Murchison Falls National Park in the north. Some of the notable protected areas in the Albertine Rift are Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Queen Elizabeth National park, Virunga National Park, Semuliki National Park, Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve, Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve, Lake Albert, Murchison Falls National Park, etc.
About the USAID STAR UGANDA programme
The USAID-STAR (Sustainable Tourism in the Albertine Rift) Program is supported by USAID-Uganda and implemented by the United States Forest Service in partnership with Solimar International. This program seeks to reduce threats to biodiversity by addressing constraints in the tourism sector, reducing limitations for local entrepreneurs in developing tourism businesses, enhancing marketing efforts, and improving linkages between local, national, and global value chains.
The Challenge
Uganda’s economy today relies primarily on commodities produced through small-scale agriculture. Coffee, tea, cotton, and grains top the list of traditional exports, with tourism serving as the largest non-traditional export. In the 1960s, Uganda was the main tourist destination in eastern Africa and tourism was one of the country’s most important economic sectors. However, during the 1970s and 80s, natural resources were depleted, trained personnel left the country, tourism infrastructure was destroyed, wildlife was poached, and Uganda’s image as a tourist destination was severely damaged. With political instability and civil unrest now in the past, Uganda is enjoying strong economic growth and making progress toward redevelopment of its national park infrastructure and recovery of its animal populations.