Uganda hotels get online booking platform

Oct 30, 2015

The Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) has signed a deal with Jovago Uganda, an international hotel booking website expected to increase Uganda’s visibility as a business and leisure destination in the region

By Samuel Sanya

The Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) has signed a deal with Jovago Uganda, an international hotel booking website expected to increase Uganda’s visibility as a business and leisure destination in the region.


Jeanne Byamugisha, the UHOA executive director pointed out that the deal will bolster tourism earnings since the hotels contribute the most to sector earnings.

Uganda earned over $1b (about sh3.5 trillion) from the tourism sector in 2012 according to a World Bank report.

The report further noted that if each tourist visiting Uganda stayed one additional night, then exports would rise by 7% and GDP by 1%.

It also showed that most tourists came to Uganda for business reasons and that they were highly satisfied with their trips to the country for the most part.

However, they were dissatisfied with transportation around Kampala, insufficient visitor information and the quality of customer service.

Louis Badea, the Jovago Country Manager for Uganda noted that in addition to increasing traffic to Uganda’s hotels, the deal includes training hotels on how to improve their standards.

“Jovago in collaboration with the UHOA intends to carry out periodical trainings for member hotels starting in central region and eventually expanding into the rest of Uganda,

“The trainings will focus on raising standards of service, using the online platform and positive practices for success in the hotel industry. Jovago.com aims to increase visibility of local hotels online, opening them up to a global client-base,” he explained.

So far, Jovago’s Lisa Omwandho says over 25,000 local hotels have gone online.

 

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