By An Executive Editor

The hotel sector remains one of those sectors that were hit hard as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A number of them closed and workers (in thousands) laid off.

However, speaking recently at a meeting of hotel owners under their umbrella body, Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), Association President Susan Muhwezi is optimistic that the recovery could come by 2025.

“Maybe from 2025 if we could get the government support that we need, we should be able to go back to where we were heading and even better now that we have Brand Uganda, Explore Uganda and now that we are marketing Uganda as a competitive tourist destination. We also have our airline. Things will work. I am optimistic,” Muhwezi told the media.

According to Muhwezi, hotel owners currently have access to the stimulus package to spur quick recovery.

“There is the stimulus package with the UDB (Uganda Development Bank) that is now being accessed at a lower interest to bring back people that were not employed or who had been shelved because of the pandemic,” Muhwezi said.

The industry, combined with Tourism contributes 9% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Government wants to increase the number of tourists that come to Uganda annually from the current 1.3 million to 4 million in the near future.