Tourism has emerged as Uganda’s top export industry, employing over 450,000 and a major contributor to GDP at 10%. As a mandate to promote Uganda as tourism destination in Malaysia and South East Asia, the High Commission of Uganda in Malaysia working closely and relentlessly with MAPE and senior representatives from Malaysia Tourism Council have identified mountain climbing activities as an entry point and strategic niche market with an untapped potential to draw more Malaysian & Asian tourists as well as earnings to Uganda.
Who better than Mr. Ravichandran Tharulingam, the renowned Malaysian mountaineer who is among few humans who have climbed the world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest as a solo climber and is listed in the Malaysia Book of Records for his feat in climbing the 8,843.43m mountain on May 15, 2006 to take up the ambassador role in promoting mountain climbing in Uganda to fellow asian mountaineers?
Started on 19 January 2018, Ravi spent eight days climbing the famous Mountains of the Moon, the Rwenzori Mountains and summited to the highest point, Margherita peak on Mt. Stanley, at 5109m. This is the first trip of many more to come with more fellow Asian climbers in future.
MAPE would like to extend its gratitude to all institutions that supoorted Ravi’s Rwenzori challenge among them Ethiopian Airlines, the Rwenzori Trekking Services, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Ministry of Foreign of Foreign Affairs, the Uganda High Commission in Malaysia, Uganda Wildlife Authority and Uganda Tourism Board.
