Jinja Hotels unclassified to host global conferences, says UTB
A section of Crested Crane Hotel, which is also known as the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI), is the only facility in Jinja city that will have a 3 Star rating upon completion. PHOTO/DENIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
- The Buyende District Tourism Officer, Ms Judith Bitali, said besides rating and classifying hotels to meet three-star standards, the quality of workers should also be considered, adding that most of the hotel staff are not professionals.
The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) says hotels in Jinja city aren’t attractive enough to host national and international conferences.
The UTB, which is the official statutory government agency mandated with destination marketing and quality assurance of tourism facilities in Uganda, says none of the hotel facilities in Jinja city has been graded to a three- Star or classified by them.
The deputy chief executive officer UTB, Mr Bradford Ochieng, said the rating and classification is done by assessors from the East African Community (EAC), and UTB, which considers a number of requirements.
These include; standard kitchen, accommodation rooms, and conference halls, a health clinic, gym, swimming pool, security, gardens, sports area, business suites, type of meals and quality of workers that should be presentable and knowledgeable.
“On a number of occasions, we would like to bring conferences to Jinja, but unfortunately, when we start to scan, there is no three-star hotel of EAC standards,” Mr Ochieng said.
According to Mr Ochieng, to host international conferences, the minimum requirement is a 3 Star which Jinja hotels do not have allegedly because their owners are not ready to meet the grading classification standards to host national and international conferences.
The former UTB chairman, Mr Daudi Migereko, however, said rating and classification of hotels is “an added value”, but cannot stop an international conference from being hosted in Jinja city.
“Quite a number of facilities are not classified and rated, but they meet international standards. There are those international conferences interested in whether a facility has good meals, sufficient accommodation, amenities and some of the facilities here meet those standards,” Mr Migereko added.
The Jinja South Division Mayor, Mr Nasser Ashraf, urged hotels in Jinja city to partner with some investors to develop facilities and attract international conferences.
The Buyende District Tourism Officer, Ms Judith Bitali, said besides rating and classifying hotels to meet three-star standards, the quality of workers should also be considered, adding that most of the hotel staff are not professionals.
She said with the presence of the UHTTI, Jinja is well-placed to train first class professionals in both the hotel management and tourism industry.
Following such a damning revelation on Jinja city, optimism can now turn to Crested Crane Hotel, a 3 Star hotel which is undergoing construction by Roko Construction Ltd at a cost of Sh24.5b funded by the World Bank.
The Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute Public Relations Officer, Mr Daniel Kazungu, said the hotel has 82 accommodation rooms of international and EAC standards.
He added: “This facility will not only help boost tourism in Jinja city and Busoga sub-region, but will also play a key role in professionalising the hospitality sector through aiding the training of the workforce.”
