The tourism sphere in Uganda, more than ever before, is embracing female players in a range of roles and the timing couldn’t be more right for all the women and girls spreading their wings to explore the opportunities and chase careers in the tourism space.

Apart from operating food stalls, selling souvenirs and hawking other items on the outskirts of mainstream tourism as has been the case in the recent past, women are now taking spaces as tour guides, travel photographers, agents, transportation and accommodation managers among others thanks to tour and travel companies that are incorporating inclusivity and pushing the sustainability agenda.

The major objective of this trend is to fight against stereotypes and promote gender equality in the industry. Through mentoring, training and exchange of experiences between various entities, women are now better positioned to take up managerial roles, bringing new dynamics to the operations of the tour and travel companies.

Recently dominated by the males, companies like the Great Explorers Safaris among others are rewriting the paradigm, fronting ladies in the different fields, a move they say has created a stream of incoming businesses whose core values also seek to promote gender inclusivity and its subsequent benefits.

In the Kigezi sub-region – Eastern Uganda, female players in the tourism industry say much as many girls take up tourism courses at the University, only a few are absorbed in the sector’s job market, let alone the big positions in the subsequent entities.

This they said, however, is fading out with the shift of operations among tour and travel companies that recognize the immense contribution of women not only to the tourism sector but the development of the country as a whole.

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The ripple effect of the trend

Being arguably the more nurturing gender, empowered women are no exception to extending the benefits of their opportunities to other women, families and communities where they thrive.

By choosing to get more females leading major excursions, the tourism industry is creating a perfect recipe for a beneficial ripple effect that goes beyond the confines of the National Parks, the lodging facilities and the wild trails, creating wider scopes of personal experiences for the tourists.

This is also true for the communities because it presents a better livelihood for families that sorely depend on women hence enabling access to basic services like education, medical care among others, in addition to creating representation and being role models for the younger generation of females to aim higher even for sectors that were predominantly male-driven.

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How Great Explorers Safaris is taking on the trend

The easiest answer to “what career opportunities can women pursue in tourism?” is “any of the open slots” simply because they are as able and qualified as their male counterparts.

And Great Explorers Safaris is on the whelm of creating equal opportunities for both genders but more so ring fencing posts for women, a move towards women empowerment in the tourism industry.

Be it tour guides, drivers, hotel managers, game rangers, wildlife veterinarian doctors, travel consultants, event planners, PR Managers among others, women do perform quite excellently at it all.

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