Joseph Oroto, Director General for Tourism in South Sudan’s Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism, has stressed the critical need for peace and infrastructure development to attract investment in the country’s tourism sector.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Director-General Oroto encouraged both domestic and international travelers to explore South Sudan’s diverse attractions.
“In order to attract investment in the field of the tourism industry, first of all, there must be total peace. This is because with insecurity which used to exist, it scares tourists from coming into the country,” clarified Oroto.
Oroto stressed the need to establish accommodation facilities and provide better services. He identified essential infrastructure requirements.
“We need to build good roads, airstrips, accommodation facilities. We must also control poaching so that the animals become tame so that they are not afraid of visitors. We also need to provide good patrol equipment so that the game rangers are competent to combat the alarming poaching practices,” he stated.
Oroto underscored the necessity of a development budget allocated to the Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism to implement infrastructure development in tourist attraction areas. He reassured that the issue of insecurity is now a thing of the past, asserting, “Our country is now peaceful. Our people have attained peace, and tourists can travel anywhere in South Sudan to the areas of our six national parks and 12 game reserves.”
Regarding the recent visit of the African Tourism Board members, Oroto highlighted their firsthand experience in South Sudan. “They acquired enough experience after they visited South Sudan and travelled to our national parks and game reserves. They spent almost a week and were able to tell a better story about South Sudan,” he explained.
To dispel external concerns about insecurity, Oroto invited the members of the African Tourism Board to witness South Sudan’s safety firsthand. “Whatever people are hearing externally about insecurity in South Sudan, they are talking about the past. However, currently South Sudan is peaceful like any other country,” Oroto affirmed.
In emphasizing the need for awareness and unity, Oroto concluded, “We have to create awareness about the potential of tourism. Our people should know about our tourism resources. We must know about our country, and it is through this knowledge that we will be able to create love among ourselves. We need unity and awareness about our tourism industry so that we can develop this sector of our economy.”
He encouraged South Sudanese to explore their unique cultures across different regions and develop them sustainably as sources of tourism attraction. Oroto concluded with a call to “develop and promote the tourism industry in our country.”