Tourism stakeholders in Uganda have voiced strong opposition to ongoing oil exploration activities in the countrys most popular national park Murchison Falls where commercial oil exports are slated to begin by June 2026.
Since oil exploration efforts kicked off in 2015, infrastructure such as oil rigs, well pads, flowlines and pipelines have been developed in the park.
Between February and July 2025, the Africa Institute for Energy Governance AFIEGO conducted community-based research to assess the perceptions and attitudes of Ugandan tourism businesses towards the oil and gas industry.
The 66 industry respondents surveyed found the oil and gas sector accounts for 61.3 of the key risks faced by the tourism sector.
Risks including construction of oil infrastructure such as roads and pipelines in protected areas, biodiversity destruction, increased poaching and increased demand for accommodation, leading to higher costs for tourists, were identified by the tourism sector stakeholders, the AFIEGO report states.