The Sacred Of Ssese Islands
September 12, 2018Baagalayaze and Kanyange Tombs
September 14, 2018If there are a few countries with so many events then Uganda is one of them. This year, M.T.N Nyege Nyege music Festival was that one long waited. In addition to attracting thousands of music lovers, tour operators utilized this opportunity to contribute on the music tourism.
As such, packages were planned and this was aimed at creating a rare experience beyond just the festival itself. Whereas East Africa’s tourism industry has kept on booming for many years, festival tourism has just gained fame in this region and one of the major drivers has been the Nyege Nyege festival. More than 3.7 percent of Kenyan economy is largely because of tourism and most of which has been dependent on wildlife tourism with several tour operators in Kenya just like it is a case in Uganda and they have a lot more in common including game drive packages and outdoor excursions.
Way back, music festivals were never looked at as tourist attractions and as a result, there has not been much investment in this sector. But due to change in tastes and preferences mostly in the domestic tourism sector is gradually driving demand for music tourism. The young town dwellers who are more willing to be part of these festivals than even traveling to view wildlife and this makes events like Nyege Nyege the best options.
Besides, most tourists today are interested in new travel experiences in addition to usual wildlife tours in Africa. Due to this, some of the areas of interest can be sports and camping events as well as music festivals. Globally, music festivals have for long featured elaborate commerce ecosystem.
A part from selling tickets, music fans offer ready market for most of the goods and services a case in point is Nashville, Seattle, Austin and New Orleans. For so many years, these tourism destinations have registered tremendous success in music tourism and boosted on the most travelers experiences. That said, some tour companies have packages which include extra activities like bungee jumping and white water rafting besides ticket selling for the upcoming music event and also arrange accommodation plus transport to and fro. While on your tour in Uganda, expect not just the music festival but also encounter Uganda’s humble and welcoming people, discover more about their food and unique cultures that will reward you with rare travel experiences.
2017 alone, over 13 visitors traveled from Nairobi to attend the Nyege Nyege a road trip that was planned by one of the tour operators and this year, the same company is targeting at 20 clients. Generally, music festival tourism is still unexplored and yet rewards visitors with unique experiences. However, there is still limited or even no cooperation between the organizers and tour companies. If this gap is addressed, the music tourism sector would attain its sustainability and will potentially grow. Partnering with ground tour operators can be of great significance the fact that they are aware of the changing tastes and preferences of travelers and in the long run this can impact on the sector.
This amazing musical event was conducted from 6th to 9th of September at Nile Discovery Beach in Jinja, Eastern Uganda. This year’s event marked the 4th edition of Nyege Nyege and attracted more than 300 artists across 30 countries within Africa and beyond. About 2 more stages were also launched the ‘Dark star stage’ that focuses on electronic music and the Spirit of Uganda stage and mostly attracted the traditional musicians and dancers.
In addition, over 17 traditional troupes from Uganda and Tanzania as well performed during this year’s festival at Jinja. Around February, MTN Uganda and Nyege Nyege entered into a 3 year sponsorship deal that was aimed at increasing this event’s fame locally and internationally. Uganda features a number of upcoming musicians and the fact that MTN has the biggest database, Nyege Nyege team will however have opportunity to identify most of the musicians who have not been discovered and present them to the world.
About Jinja
Jinja is one of Uganda’s major towns, and tourism hubs, located in Southern Uganda on the shores of the mighty Lake Victoria, 80km from Kampala capital. The major tribes in the area are the Basoga, Bagwere. Jinja is one of the largest adventure capitals in East Africa, and among the popular tourism attraction in the area include the falls, source of River Nile (the longest in Africa), Nile Breweries, Owen falls Dan and Bujjagali Dam in River Nile, Itanda falls loved for white water rafting. East of Jinja in lake Victoria, we find Samuka Island, beautiful place for vacation with beautiful birds.
The major tourist activities in Jinja include water rafting, Bungee Jumping, community walks, Horse back riding and quad biking among others.
Jinja has a wide variety of accommodation options ranging from 5 start eco-lodges to basic camping sites. This is a must visit while on your safari in Uganda.
On your way to Jinja from Kampala, there are many tour attractions you should never miss such as Mabira forest, famous for birding, camping, forest walk and Zip-lining among others. There is also Sezibwa falls, tea and sugar cane plantations.
