Almost two thirds see the current level of confidence to invest in the industry as limited or very low, with only 12 percent thinking it was positive. The prevailing political situation in the region, tourism demand, government policy and economic conditions in Uganda were cited as the principal factors influencing the investment climate.
However investment was seen as justified in hotels, tented camps and lodges, heritage sites, safari vehicles, lake based attractions and restaurants.
Reflecting on the human resource situation in the industry, 72% thought the skills base was not adequate with only 19% agreeing that the current training courses were appropriate to future needs. Sixty-nine percent are not happy with service levels while 60 percent said the industry does not offer a sustainable career.
The industry was however near unanimous with more than 90 percent sharing the view that management and staff development need to be improved.
Skills courses, management training and development, promotion of career opportunities, staff motivation and a greater interface between businesses and training organizations were identified as being among the priorities for human resource development in the industry. Availability of skilled employees and experienced management, relevant training coupled with actions that will reduce labour costs through improved productivity were also identified as staffing priorities of the sector.
A feeling that marketing opportunities are not being fully exploited is also prevalent among Ugandan stakeholders just as is the perception of a need for heightened awareness of the relationship between the environment and tourism.
While there were almost as many for, as against government regulation of the environment, there was high support for self-regulation within the industry. The priorities for environmental management were seen as the protection and conservation of wildlife. Pollution and waste management including visual pollution of the landscape, good environmental management on the part of businesses and land use planning.
The ministries and other government agencies elicit interesting responses with 77 percent convinced that they were not making a good job of marketing the country. However, the immigration and customs services were seen to be offering an acceptable level of service.
Just under half of respondents thought the Uganda Tourist Board was delivering to acceptable levels. The agency’s tourist information received criticism, just as was performance in areas such as promotion, research as well as timeliness and scope of statistical records.
The stakeholders’ believe the Uganda Tourist Board should prioritize creating destination awareness through marketing, promotion and provision of tourist information. It should also coordinate tourism development, planning, research, events and festivals. {Most of these functions are in fact the responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism
Three out of four respondents expressed satisfaction with the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s handling of the conservation, permits and information functions although only 30 percent thought it was delivering on product diversification.
A widely held view was that for the future, UWA should put more energy into streamlining management of the natural resource, issuance of permits and reservations and strategies for tourism in protected areas .