Africa-Press – Uganda. As part of activities leading up to the World Tourism Day that will be celebrated at the Arua Golf Course Grounds in Arua city on Saturday, the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (UHTTI) has embarked on equipping Arua food vendors, restaurant operators and managers with hygiene and food handling skills.
The two-day training is part of UHTTI’s mandate to enhance professionalism in the hospitality sector through both formal and non-formal training of the industry’s workforce.
“I am glad you have come to train our food handlers and I am confident this training will help improve food hygiene and handling in Arua city,” said Emmanuel Angudubo, the Arua City Deputy town clerk.
Angudubo was speaking on behalf of the city town clerk, David Kyasanku, during the official opening of the training at city hall.
“When you deal in food, you cannot go wrong because everybody at some point goes hungry. The food business makes you very important as far as the hospitality industry is concerned,” Angudubo said, adding that many visitors prefer ordinary restaurants to fancy hotels.
In a related development, the chairperson of Arua Hotel Owners and Managers Association (AHOMA), Mr Jimmy Angubo, said Arua boasts of 164 registered hotels and lodges and that the training will help address the skills gaps in the sector.
“Our capacity to run hotels and restaurants has been lacking and I urge you participants to take this training seriously because the skills you are going to acquire will benefit you for a lifetime,” Angubo said.
Meanwhile, Arua city tourism officer Fred Wathum, urged Arua residents to maximum the World Tourism Day celebrations to make money.
“I know you would be at your facilities making money but you decided to come and attend the training. This is a good gesture because you are the people who feed our visitors,” Wathum said.
The lead trainer and veteran Chef, Ivan Kalule, who also doubles as the head of the hospitality department at UHTTI urged participants to emphasize hygiene at their work places.
“Proper hygiene is the driver of the hospitality sector and can determine the clientele base as well as pricing. You need to bath severally and clean your hands regularly,” Kalule said.
One of the trainees Kennedy Eguma, who runs a restaurant in Arua city, said he will use the acquired skills to improve his restaurant business.
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