Hotels & Tourism sector bagged billions during NAM, G77 Summits – Stakeholders

By Elijah Khisa

Stakeholders in the hospitality sector reportedly made a big dime kill during the just concluded 19th NAM/G77 Summits as it emerged that they were among the top beneficiaries who have smiled their way to the Bank.

The chief executive officer [CEO] Uganda Hotel Owners Association [UHOA] Jean Byaruhanga told this website  during an exclusive interview last week that a total of 70 Hotels and Resorts were officially accredited by the government to offer all necessary hospitality services within the Kampala Metropolitan area.

Jean congratulated the president and all people of Uganda for successfully hosting the multiple high level summits and conferences which effectively exposed the country’s rich tourism potential and that her sector players were in position to smile their way to the Bank.

‘Am very confident that dozens of our Association members must have smiled their way to the Bank given that the government officially accredited   at least 70 hotels and Resorts within the greater Kampala Metropolitan area to host some of the large teams of delegates that  attended the summits and conferences’ noted the jolly Jean.   

‘It was a hectic time for teams including Ministries such as security, health. Trade and industry, tourism, Gender, agriculture, UTB,UNBS and  UHOA among  others which were  offered a strict detailed  mandate of inspecting  hotels for purposes of compliance to regulation as well as looking at a long list of demands which ended up with 70 hotels and Resorts passing the test’ she observed.

When we visited hotel Triangle in Kampala the general manager Gabriel Jjuuko told us that they were glad to have been part of the hotels accredited to host guests and used the opportunity to thank the government with all its agencies for granting them a chance to be part of the event.

Juuko pointed out that hotel Triangle with main hotel in the heart of Mbarara city boasts of 106 bed verities ranging from deluxe, suits and high end  lounges  while their 3 star Buganda Road based  branch has 60 rooms with 74 beds and has all  pure African organic  food delicious.

The executive chef Sekirembe Terah told us that the NAM/G77 summits created a new dawn on their duty schedule as they got exposed to all forms of refresher training on basic things which are acceptable to guests of such high stature.

He said they managed to prepare and serve Luwombo dish to the English and European guests who enjoyed the delicacy for the first time who promised to make a  private return journey into the country and get the better taste of Luwombo dish which is a sandwich of fresh African chicken boiled with   fresh vegetables amongst  others.