Kannyeke Kenneth Caldwell
Monotony is a terrible and invisible or intangible sword. Once it penetrates through, the wounds are perrenial and huge. According to Kiersgaard, monotony is a substantial source of boredom. And we are aware of what comes with boredom.
We have given amazing shots on marketing our tourism potentials. It's un doubtable that we have done a good job in showing the world about the beauty of the pearl of Africa. Kudos.
I asked a random and opinion question someday; what can we show the world that some other people don't have? And we seemed to be inadequate of answers. Yet and truthfully, we have a lot of things and potentials seemingly untapped, not even marketed, and, these potentials are incredible. Uganda is endowed with the beauty that has surely made safari tourism so incredible. Talk of the parks, forests and many more. However, there is a lot ignored and we can glue our hands on all these potentials.
As a two wheel local tourist who connects fitness with tourism, I've given a number of shots to visit lots of eye catching potentials. When I did my two days run from Kampala to visit Murchison falls national park. I smiled from mile one to the gate of the park. Every kilometer I came across had an amazing gift worth marketing as a tourism gift. However, probably, my neighbors X and T who gets obsessed at taking a selfie at the park gate in a tourism van, I was interested in exploring each and every kilometer.
My friends Scottie and Sheila who lives in USA, are so keen to book tickets to Uganda very soon but not to go to a game reserve and visit an amazing water fall but to get good time with our local luwombo steamed in a sweet traditional way. I also witnessed another friend who boarded to Uganda to come see and learn about the natal fig tree (ficus natalensis). MacNair from Cornwall was interested and so excited about how this tree gets skinned to produce outfits or clothing but still produces a new skin without withering, and lots of connections to it. When you look closely, this tree is found in Southern Africa, Kenya, Uganda and few parts of Tanzania.
In a tourism cyber community where is spend a certain percentage of my internet and time, I am addicted to preaching the gospel of wellness and fitness, many find my addiction nagging. And yes, it seems penetrating them hugely. I am not worried since those finding them nagging download them, use them and train for their hiking adventures, let's say. Whereas we fail to appreciate the connection between wellness and tourism, we might live to think that a diabetic tourist is a happy one. I've been so keen to remind everyone that Uganda is the most physically active nation in the whole world, this also makes us happy travellers.
A few days ago, some people proposed that government should erect a statue of olympian Joshua cheptegei, some blasted and some welcomed the idea. In Jamaica, they already have Usain Bolt statues, what is wrong with us to having an Akii Bua or Kiprotich statue. There is much about sports tourism which is a substantial product of wellness and fitness. If you doubt this, you may have known Brazil not because of the lions or cheetahs but because of their soccer skills, and maybe someone loves America not because of her military might but because of basket ball.
We can do more and , if we appreciate and promote more than what our minds are glued at. Tourism is beyond safari tourism.
The writer is an enthusiastic local tourist, athlete, fitness and wellness coach.
caldwellfitnessandwellness@gmail.com
www.caldwellfitness.com
