| dc.description.abstract | The hospitality sector promotes sustainable development through job creation, promotion of
international trade and contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). The outbreak of
COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying lockdown measures adversely affected tourism
and hospitality industry with a spillover effect onto the national economy. This study
investigated the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on selected hotels and guest houses in three
divisions of Kampala city namely, Central, Makindye and Nakawa and the coping strategies
they adopted. The objectives of the study were to profile selected hotels and guest houses in
the divisions, to examine how they were affected by COVID-19 pandemic and the coping
mechanisms they adopted to survive the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative
cross-sectional case study design was adopted to obtain data from the hotels and guest houses
within the selected divisions of Kampala city. 28 hotels and 22 guest houses were profiled in
the three divisions and 152 respondents interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.
Data were summarized in SPSS and subjected to a one-way analysis of variance to show
variations in the services offered by the hotels and guest houses in the wake of COVID-19
outbreak.
The study revealed that most of the respondents were females (58.6%) and the rest were males
41.4%, majority (58.6%) were 26-30 years old. Out of 50 hotels and guest houses, 18 were in
Central Division, 19 in Makindye Division and 13 in Nakawa Division. Out of the 18 hospitality
facilities in Central Division, 11 were classified as 1-star to 5-star whereas eight were
unclassified. Out of the 19 hospitality facilities in Makindye Division, 11 were unclassified
while two were classified as 2-star, two as 3-star and two as 4-star. Out of the 13 facilities
profiled in Nakawa Division, seven were unclassified while one was classified as 2-star, three
as 3-star and two as 4- star. The services offered in the order of magnitudes were restaurant’s
(mean=13.3), bars (11.3) and conference halls (mean=8.7). Central Division had the highest
number of hotel rooms (n=1,508) and guest house rooms (n=166) compared to Makindye
Division with 351 hotel rooms, 95 guest house rooms and Nakawa Division with 347 hotel
rooms and 136 guest house rooms respectively. Furthermore, there were more
double/standard rooms (n=672) and single rooms (n=416) in the hotels and guest houses in
Central Division compared to 110 hotel rooms and 167 rooms guest houses rooms in Makindye
Division while in Nakawa Division there were 137 hotel rooms and 220 guest houses rooms.
Furthermore, 1,335 people were employed in the profiled hotels and guest houses before the
outbreak of COVID-19; the number dropped to 785 (58.8%) during COVID-19 lockdown
measures while the rest were laid off. Results further indicate that COVID-19 outbreak
decreased the number of customers, revenue, and profits. Hotels and guest houses did not
close business completely, staff did not work in shifts, and the premises were not converted to
other types of businesses because the government ensured that hotels and guest houses put
the following measures into practice such as sanitary precautions every time like washing
hands, wearing masks, social distancing includes refraining from hand shaking and hugging,
mopping all indoors areas like entrance lobbies, corridors and staircase with disinfectant and
facilities also laid off some workers to reduce on the overcrowding within the facilities, reduced
on the rates on the services provided with in the facilities for example some hotels reduced on
the amount charged per room etc. It is recommended that managers should adopt pricing
strategies that respond to the customers’ needs, reduce costs of operations during times of
crises and seek discounts from suppliers, distributors and tour operators and marketers. In
addition, they should embrace digital promotion and marketing strategies and include crises
management approaches in their business plans. | en_US |
