By Flavia Ajok
Players in the hotel and hospitality industry have been challenged to unite and form joint ventures so as to improve and gain new knowledge, expertise as well as easy access to resources and technological advancements.
The call has been made by the state minister for employment, labor and industrial relations Col. Rt. Charles Engola Okello during a one-day Post Covid 19 Economic Trends in the Tourism/Hospitality Sector Recovery workshop organized by Uganda hotels, foods, tourism, supermarket and Allied workers union HTS-Union held Thursday at Hoima Kolping Hotel.
Engola says that in order to build capacity, hotel owners need to work together through unions to increase their productivity. He has also noted that 85% of Ugandans are not under any union which derails their efforts to advocate for their rights.
Badru Mugabi, the Hoima Resident City Commissioner says joint venture partnerships are an easy access for players in the hospitality sector to secure contracts in the il sector.
Hon. Dr. Abdul Byakatonda, the Member of Parliament for Workers says the hospitality sector employs up to 7.5% of people.
Byakatonda adds that with the effects of the Covid-19 panemic, there is need to support people in the hospitality industry to return to work, support the economy through re-employment of those that lost jobs and create new opportunities, especially for youth and women
Hebert Kalisa, the director Eco Mika Hotel welcomed the idea of joint venture partnerships adding that it will improve their capacity as local service providers.
The workshop was organized under the theme “enhancing human centered tourism sector consistent recovery through fair competition and compliance”.
