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Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda Tourism Board has started a nationwide grading and classification exercise for hotels and other tourist facilities.
This was revealed at a news conference held in Kampala on Aug.2 by Lilly Ajarova, the chief executive officer of UTB, Uganda Hotel Owners Association Chairperson and Vice Chairperson Board of UTB, Susan Muhwezi, Broadford Ochieng, deputy CEO of UTB and Jean Byamugisha, the executive director of UHOA.
The exercise started in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, Fort- portal and Mbale. It will be conducted in phases and cover the entire country.
Ajarova said that the exercise is in fulfillment of one of UTB’s mandates to carry out Quality Assurance of the tourism sector as enshrined in the Tourism Act 2008.
“Under Section J UTB enforces and monitors standards and (K) mandates us to register, inspect, license, and classify tourism enterprises,” she said.
The exercise aligns the country and tourism players to the provisions of article 115(2) of the East African Treaty.
In the treaty, tourism is one of the identified sectors where partner states work together in a coordinated manner, to develop the quality of accommodation and catering facilities for visitors within the region.
Susan Muhwezi explained that UHOA and the private sector were fully in support of the exercise and urged hoteliers to participate for the good of the industry.
She said grading will add value to their investments through increased marketing of the facilities within the accredited grades.
She said that the exercise is a vital component of marketing Uganda as a competitive tourism destination that observes good standards for visitor enjoyment.
On the other hand, Broadford Ochieng said that UTB was working tirelessly to tick off all the Five “As” of tourism that includes Attractions, Amenities, Activities, Accessibility, and Accommodation.
He explained that accommodation was one of the important components in streaming standards that make Uganda a competitive destination.
Jean Byamugisha said grading is important in aligning the industry to international standards as well as managing guest expectations and it supports the pricing systems of hotels.
“It will therefore create a positive impact because of the improved quality of tourism products and services offered to tourists,” she said.
The field assessment teams were equipped with information technology equipment that is preloaded with an automated e-classification system making it efficient and effective to carry out their work seamlessly.
“Uganda Tourism Board is determined to ensure the enforcement of the standard protocols for the well-being and growth of the sector,” Ajarova said.
