Uganda hotels substandard, says survey
BY BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI
Special Correspondent
Results of an accommodation survey in Uganda show that few hotels meet the requirements for grading. It also shows that many establishments have serious service defects and flout the minimum regulations. The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry to evaluate the state of readiness of the country's hotels as they prepare to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting next year. According to the survey's report, most of the hotels inspected had no documented security policy and security matters were handled in an ad hoc manner. Similarly the staff in front office had no contacts with security or fire brigade in case of emergencies. The guest registration forms were not strictly followed, the most common explanation given blaming guest reluctance to offer
personal detail. Failure to maintain guest registers is a security risk and further compromises the efforts of the department to collect accurate data on occupancy for planning and promotional purposes, says the report. Tilted, The State of Accommodation Establishments in Uganda, the survey was a preparatory stage in the classification and grading of tourist accommodation facilities in the country in readiness for the Commonwealth meeting. Security surveillance in the most hotels is poor; few hotels had CCTV surveillance or a detailed security team that covered the hotel, says the report. "Guest property is not subjected to security
search in most establishments; this poses a particular threat to the guests and staff of the hotels in case of subversive elements," it says. "The argument of maintaining guest privacy and customer service was advanced but hotels need to strike a balance between guest security and privacy." It was noted that few hotels had fire detection systems like fire alarms and smoke detectors. The proportion of hotels that had fire fighting equipment was below average and some of the installations were expired. The inspectors also noted that in many establishments, the firefighting provisions were grossly inadequate. The findings show that few multi-storeyed establishments had functional fire escapes while others in the small and medium category actually lacked fire escapes. Signs and maps instructing guests how to respond in case of a fire were missing. As regards health and hygiene, the survey indicated that the majority of the hotels had poor hygiene and did not have clear systems to describe and ensure that health and hygiene strictly maintained. The state of accommodation facilities survey was conducted in the districts of Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso in May and June.
The survey results showed that most of the hotels were in the below $50 a day bracket. The cost of accommodation is a good indicator of perceived quality. The upmarket hotels charged $80 plus, while the mid market charged between $50 and $80. The survey considered the issue of compliance with regulations as a key component to service enhancement. The hotels visited were asked several questions regarding compliance and the results show that the levels of compliance are low. The business registration certificate is supposed to be displayed in a conspicuous location and the inspectors found very few facilities meeting
this requirement. The more critical observation was that less than half the establishments registered their businesses, as most operated as sole proprietorships. Trading licenses are also supposed to be displayed conspicuously, but less than half the establishments displayed these licenses. The inspectors could not determine whether these were bonafide operators or not. The most critical observation in regard to trading licenses was that the local authorities issued them with a view to revenue collection rather than as compliance certificates confirming that the businesses traded legally. The certificate of building occupation is supposed to prove the suitability of the building for occupation. The results show that only 20 per cent of the visited establishments claimed to have it.
