Entebbe Municipal Council has unveiled a strategy to support business competitiveness and resilience and make the locality more attractive to investors and tourists.
The strategy code-named “Tugende Entebbe” and themed “Live, invest, explore” was launched by Mayor Fabrice Rulinda this morning. It involves business people increasing marketing of their activities to ensure that clients appreciate the products and services more to a “we shall come again,” point.
Rulinda who together with Steven Mulindwa, the council’s Principal Commercial Officer explained the essence of the strategy said the target was increased turnover, investment and business survival. The council will, if the strategy succeeds, be assured of realizing more revenue to finance service delivery while at the same time, residents enjoy better living.
He added that many businesses in the area could not survive for more than six months because owners think clients will come naturally yet businesses require aggressive and sustained marketing to give a lasting impression to clients.
At the strategy launch, Promote Uganda Safaris (PUS), a local tour company also launched its mobile bus tour for Entebbe. The two-decker bus ride will be available to revellers who want to get a feel of Entebbe and its historical, recreational, geographical and other wonders.
PUS Managing Director David Nsubuga said the company would initially be operating rides two days a week. It will collaborate with small and major hotels to pick tourists from the hotels to the various sites of interest, spending four to five hours on the ride. There will be local tour guides to explain in detail about Entebbe’s wonders, sites and products.
Among the important sites that could be of interest to different people are Kigungu, the site where the first European missionaries landed, the historical Kabaka Buganda palace, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Entebbe Zoo), Entebbe Airport, the green scenery and much more.
For the inaugural ride, Mayor Rulinda paid for all those who were around at the launch, who included councillors, business people, civic leaders and a few children. He asked other business owners to take advantage of the strategy as the council will be readily available to give them the necessary support. He also urged the company to employ local personnel where possible to ensure maximum advantage to residents.
PUS operates a bus tour business in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. The company has two buses that operate in Kampala and Jinja while one bus operates in Kigali, Rwanda. The Entebbe tour bus has been operating in Mombasa but owners were forced to withdraw it citing mistreatment as a foreign business.
