The Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute is a parastatal company, wholly owned by the government of Uganda, whose primary objective is to train and educate personnel in the hospitality and tourism industry, to promote tourism and deliver professional, sustainable services to tourists and promote the profitability and sustainability of Uganda's national tourist resources.[1]
The institute is located off of Nalufenya Road, in the city of Jinja, in Jinja District, Busoga sub-region, in the Eastern Region of Uganda. This location is approximately 79.5 kilometres (49 mi), by road, east of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.[2] Its geographical coordinates are 0°26'13.0"N, 33°11'59.0"E (Latitude:0.436944; Longitude:33.199722).[3]
Statute Number 14 of September 1994, established the present Hotel and Tourism Training Institute and transferred the former Crested Crane Hotel and all its assets to the new Institute. The Statute commenced in 1994, and the institute resumed training in mid 1996 at Crested Crane Hotel in Jinja, under the Ministry of Wildlife and Antiquities, later Ministry of, Tourism, Trade and Industry.[4]
In 1998, the institute was transferred to the Ministry of Education and Sports. Under this ministry, the institute was renovated and upgraded with funding from the World Bank. In November 2007, the institute was again moved back to the Ministry of Tourism Trade and Industry. In 2016, when that ministry was split, the institute was assigned to the Uganda Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.[4]
Beginning in May 2018, major renovations, are expected to start at the institute, to improve the infrastructure and raise training standards to international levels. The renovations are funded by a World Bank loan to the tune of US$7 million.[7] The renovations and upgrade, to increase the hotel room count to 50 rooms were fagged off by Ephraim Kamuntu, the Uganda Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, on Wednesday 25 April 2018. ROKO Construction Limited, a Ugandan construction firm was awarded the renovation contract.[8]
