Deep in the misty forests of south-western Uganda, mountain gorillas are more than a symbol of wildlife conservation. For communities living around Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, the animals support jobs, businesses, community projects and tourism revenue.
Their survival is therefore closely linked to the wellbeing of the people living alongside their habitat.
As the world marks World Gorilla Day, Uganda is celebrating a species that has become one of the country’s most valuable tourism products and a major economic driver for communities around the forests. Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, found in Bwindi and Mgahinga in south-western Uganda.
In Kanungu District, communities in Mpungu Sub-County marked World Gorilla Day this week through activities organised by Change a Life-Bwindi, a community organisation based in Ruhija.
Residents took part in tree planting, community cleaning, dialogue sessions, a free medical camp and sports activities promoting conservation. More than 120 residents received free medical services from Rugarama Hospital.
The activities reflected a broader understanding of conservation, in which communities living around protected areas are expected not only to protect wildlife but also to benefit from the tourism economy generated by gorillas.
Christine Katushabe, founder of Change a Life-Bwindi, pointed to the transformation around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. High-end lodges have emerged across the park’s tourism sectors, creating employment and markets for locally produced goods and services. She also highlighted ongoing efforts to integrate Batwa communities into the predominantly Bakiga communities surrounding the park.
A Premium Tourism Product
The Ruhija celebrations came as Uganda marked World Gorilla Day nationally, honouring a species that has become one of the country’s most valuable tourism products and a powerful economic engine for communities around Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks. Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, found only in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Visitor numbers reflect the parks’ growing popularity. According to Bashir Hangi, UWA spokesperson and Assistant Commissioner in charge of communication, Mgahinga received 3,601 international and domestic visitors in the 2021/22 financial year, rising to 5,325 in 2022/23, 5,507 in 2023/24 and 6,222 in 2024/25.
Bwindi recorded 20,367 visitors in 2021/22, before rising sharply to 37,360 in 2022/23. That figure climbed to 43,984 in 2023/24 before a slight dip to 43,716 in 2024/25. Hangi notes these figures cover visitors across various tourism activities in the parks, not gorilla trekkers alone.
Billions in Revenue
The financial contribution of gorilla tourism remains substantial. John Makombo, UWA’s commissioner in charge of biodiversity management, says Bwindi and Mgahinga generated a combined Sh584.3 billion in tourism revenue between the 2022/23 and 2025/26 financial years. Gorilla tourism alone accounted for more than Sh398.8 billion of that total.
Breaking it down by year: in 2022/23, gorilla tourism contributed more than Sh109.8 billion of Sh147.9 billion collected; in 2023/24, Sh86 billion of Sh131.9 billion; in 2024/25, Sh93 billion of Sh142 billion; and in 2025/26, Sh110 billion of Sh162.5 billion.
In the financial year ending June 2025, UWA gave Sh2.97 billion to communities surrounding the Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area for community projects, social enterprises and business funds that reach porters, guides, drivers, lodge workers, farmers and small businesses supplying the tourism industry.
Central to Uganda’s Appeal
Juliana Kagwa, Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board, says gorillas remain central to Uganda’s tourism appeal, noting that a large share of the country’s tourism arrivals can be directly attributed to the animals. She has called for sustainable tourism practices in Bwindi and Mgahinga, even as Uganda seeks to diversify its tourism portfolio so its wider attractions complement its flagship wildlife products.
For Change a Life-Bwindi and communities like those in Mpungu, the message is clear: a gorilla is worth far more alive than dead, and a forest is worth far more standing than cleared. For the porter guiding a tourist, the farmer supplying a lodge, or the young person finding work in tourism, conservation carries tangible, everyday value one that organisations like Change a Life-Bwindi are working to deepen at the community level.
