The Uganda Hotel Owners Association has asked tourism-related companies which cut off their employees during the Covid-19 pandemic to have them re-deployed as the tourism sector continues to recover from the Covid effects.
The chairperson for the Uganda Hotel Owners Association, Suzan Muhwezi, says the sector is getting rejuvenated, and it is time for the companies to equip themselves and be able to render quality services to the tourists visiting the country.
She says the tourism industry is among the sectors employing the largest number of youth and women, including those engaging in farming-related activities.
“We are back to business. Tourism is everybody’s business as you know it provides money for the farmer, right from the grassroots it employs the largest number of youth and women. Many people lost their jobs and European Union was able to come in and put a grant so that we can bring back our employees,” she said.
She made the remarks while officiating at the launch of a digital payments startup, code-named Pesapal, a payment system. The newly launched project is one of the cashless payment systems being promoted to rejuvenate the tourism sector.
During the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, tourism was one of the sectors which were most affected by the pandemic and this impacted economies, livelihoods, and public services among others.