Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) is set to conduct a nationwide crackdown on unlicensed tourism facilities in a bid to enhance the quality and safety of the country’s tourism industry.
The enforcement exercise to be conducted in collaboration with the Uganda Police, targets non-compliant accommodation providers, tour operators, and travel guides.
Ahead of the exercise, UTB on Saturday held an engagement with Uganda police to streamline the operations.
‘We want to assure the general public, our foreign visitors and the domestic travelers that country is safe in terms of accommodation. When you go to the facilities you are well assured that the standards are good,” said Brandfold Ochieng, UTB’s Deputy CEO during the meeting at police headquarters in Nagulu.
Ochieng cited ignorance and complacency as the main reasons for non-compliance, with some facility owners citing registration and licensing fees as obstacles.
He however emphasized that licensing is crucial for ensuring quality standards and enhancing Uganda’s reputation as a tourist destination.
The exercise will start with accommodation facilities in Kampala Metropolitan Area on November 18, 2024, covering Central Kampala, Kawempe, Lubaga, Wandegeya, Nansana, Kakiri, Entebbe, and Mukono.
The enforcement exercise follows engagements with various stakeholders to educate them on the importance of licensing and compliance
“A property that will be found with no operating license will be closed down and be required to formally register and apply for license after fulfilling minimum requirements as per the regulation under the Uganda tourism act of 2008,” said Samora Semakula UTB’s Quality Assurance Manager.
Semakula noted that to destination Uganda and the tourism sector, enforcing standards develops an internationally competitive tourism sector, improves the reputation of Uganda as MICE destination and is a Promotional Tool that Facilitates Destination Marketing among others benefits
Patrick Lawot, Deputy Director of Counterterrorism, stressed the importance of collaboration between UTB and the tourism police in enforcing regulations.
“We know the value of tourism, and how much it contributed to the country and for us as security when we know the value of something we protect it jealously,” said Lawonakim
He added, “We have experienced cases where your operators cheat tourists.. that’s why we need to work togetherness and weed out the wrong ones and at the end of the the day do the right thing,”
Tourism is one of Uganda’s key sectors contributing about 4.7 percent to the country’s GDP.
UTB is at the fore in promoting Uganda as a tourism destination through marketing campaigns and partnerships with airlines and travel trade. The UTB also showcases Uganda’s tourism brand at international events.