For many tourists, meeting a mountain gorilla in the misty forests of southwestern Uganda is an unforgettable wildlife experience. But beyond the excitement of seeing these rare animals, gorilla conservation is playing a much wider role in Uganda. It is helping protect forests, supporting tourism, creating opportunities for communities and generating billions of shillings in revenue.
As the world prepares to celebrate World Gorilla Day on September 24, Uganda is highlighting the strong connection between the survival of mountain gorillas and the wellbeing of people living around their habitat. World Gorilla Day was launched in 2017 and coincides with the anniversary of Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Centre. The day is aimed at encouraging global action to protect all gorilla subspecies.
Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, according to the 2019 census. A new census has since been conducted, but the final 2025/26 population figure is still awaited.
John Makombo, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Commissioner for Biodiversity Management, said the mountain gorilla population has continued to increase, largely because of registered births. He said the final figure will be released after authorities complete the remaining stages of DNA analysis.
The growing gorilla population has also been accompanied by increased tourism activity in Uganda’s protected areas. Bashir Hangi, the UWA spokesperson, said Mgahinga National Park recorded 3,601 international and domestic visitors in the 2021/22 financial year. The number increased to 5,325 in 2022/23, 5,507 in 2023/24 and 6,222 in 2024/25.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has also continued to attract large numbers of visitors. The park recorded 20,367 visitors in 2021/22, with the figure increasing to 37,360 in 2022/23 and 43,984 in 2023/24. In 2024/25, the number slightly declined to 43,716. Hangi noted that the figures cover all tourism activities in the two parks and should therefore not be understood as gorilla trekking figures alone.
The financial contribution of gorilla tourism, however, remains significant. Makombo said Bwindi and Mgahinga generated more than Sh109.8 billion from gorilla tourism alone in 2022/23. When revenue from other tourism activities in the two protected areas was included, total collections reached Sh147.9 billion during the same financial year.
Revenue fell to Sh131.9 billion in 2023/24, with gorilla tourism contributing Sh86 billion. Makombo attributed the decline partly to negative travel advisories issued by foreign missions. Following campaigns by stakeholders in the tourism sector, revenue later recovered to Sh142 billion in 2024/25, with gorilla tourism contributing Sh93 billion.
The recovery continued into 2025/26, when total revenue from Bwindi and Mgahinga reached Sh162.5 billion. Gorilla tourism alone accounted for Sh110 billion, demonstrating the major financial role the animals play in Uganda’s tourism sector.
The benefits of conservation are also reaching people living around the protected areas. During the financial year ending June 2025, UWA disbursed Sh2.97 billion under its revenue-sharing programme to communities surrounding the Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area. The funds are being used to support community projects, social enterprises and businesses.
Tourism has also created employment opportunities through community associations. The Porters’ Association in Buhoma, which was established in 1992, currently has 100 members, while more than 50 other community members operate from the Nyamishamba outpost. Similar community associations exist in other Bwindi sectors, including Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo, with a combined membership of about 500 people providing services to tourists.
Christine Katushabe, founder of Change A Life-Bwindi, a non-profit organisation based in Ruhija, Mpungu Sub-county in Kanungu District, said gorilla tourism has also contributed to the growth of accommodation and hospitality businesses around the park. She noted that high-end lodges have continued to emerge, creating employment opportunities and markets for locally produced supplies.
Katushabe said the importance of gorillas goes beyond attracting tourists. She explained that the animals have become a source of hope for communities because protecting their habitat also helps protect livelihoods, culture and the future of children living in the area. She stressed that conservation is more effective when people living closest to the gorillas are actively involved.
The transformation can also be seen in the development of infrastructure and services around Bwindi and Mgahinga. High-end lodges, improved telecommunications, electricity, roads and air connectivity have accompanied the growth of tourism. This has changed the conservation story from one focused only on protecting wildlife and forests to one that also includes local economic development.
This year’s World Gorilla Day activities will bring the conservation message closer to communities. Although World Gorilla Day is observed on September 24, the main national celebrations will be held on October 1. A number of activities will take place from September 19 to 21 in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi, in Mpungu Sub-county, Kanungu District.
The programme is being spearheaded by Change A Life-Bwindi in partnership with UWA. Activities will include community cleaning, tree planting, free medical camps, community dialogues and gorilla tracking. Media engagements will also be held with communities, lodges, accommodation facilities and other businesses whose livelihoods are connected to gorilla tourism and conservation.
Richard Muhabwe, Chief Warden of the Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area, said the main celebration was initially scheduled for September 24 but was moved to October 1 because of other engagements involving UWA’s top management. He said the change of date would not reduce the importance of the celebrations. The activities are instead intended to strengthen the message that protecting gorillas requires protecting their forests, which in turn helps safeguard the economic and social benefits generated through conservation.
Juliana Kagwa, Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board, described mountain gorillas as a central part of Uganda’s tourism story. She said many tourism arrivals can be directly attributed to the country’s mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are found only in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, making their conservation a shared regional responsibility.
Kagwa called for sustainable tourism practices in Bwindi and Mgahinga while highlighting Uganda’s unique gorilla-tracking experience. She also said Uganda is diversifying its tourism portfolio by developing other attractions to complement the gorilla experience. This is intended to broaden the country’s tourism offerings and spread tourism benefits across more destinations and experiences.
Other partners supporting this year’s World Gorilla Day celebrations include Asilia Africa, Rugarama Hospital, ICN Uganda, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Onzoka Tours, Agandi Uganda, Gorilla Highlands Coffee, Uganics and Caldera, among others.
