Travel and Tourism is a huge source of income globally with an estimated revenue of more than $716 billion in 2022. It is one of the major potential sources of foreign direct investment in Africa. However, it has not yielded much for the continent in comparison with other regions like France, the UK, and Germany.
David Gonahasa, the managing director of Tripesa, explained during the Blockchain Innovation program (BPI), Uganda, that the redevelopment of products around tourism will boost the tourism industry in Africa.
An example given by David is redesigning modes of payment to make it easier for tourists as well as service providers to trade without currency hassles. Another is having a system where tourists can easily buy goods that are verified and trusted by certified vendors without much worry.
David illustrated that focusing on small-medium scale businesses in Ugandan is at the heart of this process. At Tripesa, he continued, we want local business owners in Uganda to leverage technology in reaching out to customers.
Read this also:
Money follows value, CK Japheth speaks on startup funding in Uganda
Uganda Wants to Transform Africa with the Blockchain
Africa Blockchain Conference Set to Hold in Uganda
Using NFTs to drive tourism and wildlife conservation
David talked about the introduction of tech into wildlife conservation in Uganda to help raise funds and preserve Mountain gorillas. This idea birthed the My Gorilla Family project.
After COVID-19, he explained, the tourism industry in Uganda was affected negatively as tourists couldn’t travel to Uganda. Therefore, the My Gorilla Family project was built to bring wildlife experience into the virtual world using a subscription model.
Subscribers pay a certain amount of money to see the life of these gorillas in pictures, videos, and real-time mode. These images and videos are captured by cameras stationed around the forest.
The Managing Director of Tripesa also said that it’s possible to introduce NFTs into such projects. This will provide more funds to pay Rangers who guide these wildlife as well as empower the communities around the forest.
David is optimistic about the impact of blockchain in Uganda and told the audience to expect a stablecoin project from the Tripesa team.
What do you think of this article? Share your comments below.
