Hotels in Kasese Feel Pinch of Lockdown

Hotel owners in Kasese District are feeling the pinch of the lock down.

The immediate impact of the lock down is on the proprietors and employees of hotels who have to bear high costs of rent and living without business.

Nicholas Twejukye the manager Ataco Country Resort in Kasese Town says that after the president’s directives most clients cancelled their bookings.

Twejukye says that though the restaurant remains open, they get few clients.

“True the lockdown has already had a big impact on our business, there are no customers and even our bar wing closed,” Twejukye says.

 

Twejukye is worried that this impact may stretch down for months even after the lockdown since people will still be trying to cope up financially.

"Of course even after the lockdown people will be sorting their issues like rents, school fees and others," he notes.

Sadam Musinguzi from great lakes food hub in Kasese says the number of their clients drastically reduced after the directive.

Musinguzi says they are worried that the impact of the lockdown will go far to affect the industry.

"Even if the lockdown ends, we don't expect that people will come back there and then, they will have a period to settle before they start to spend." Musinguzi urges.

Carol Nsimenta working with Uhuru 50 says they had to close down some of their services since they lost customers after the lock down.

Jovia Mbambu the Kasese District tourism officer acknowledges the challenges hotels are facing.

However, she challenges proprietors to open up online businesses so that they can be in a position to reach out to a vast number of customers during the lockdown.

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Though there remains a sizable number of hotels are restaurants open in town, most are largely empty with no customers.