Hotel industry denied  a Martyrs’ Day payday

The hospitality industry in Namugongo finds itself in a difficult position as the martyrs shrines attract a significant influx of visitors, leaving hotels with vacant rooms and missed opportunities for economic growth. 

The annual pilgrimage to the martyrs shrines, a major religious event in the country, draws thousands of believers home-and-away to pay their respects, seek blessings, and participate in religious ceremonies. This is in commemoration of the lives of 45 Christian martyrs who were executed between 1885 and 1887 for their refusal to renounce their faith. 
 
The shrines in Namugongo are a significant tourist attraction for both domestic and foreign visitors. Unfortunately, this doesn’t land the hotel sector in the area its biggest payday. Hotel owners and managers Saturday Monitor talked to said as much, with most pilgrims opting to bed down in open spaces presumably to mimic the ascetic life of the Uganda Martyrs. 

“This situation not only affects the hotels’ revenue, but also deprives us of an opportunity to showcase our services and hospitality to a wider audience,” Mr William Mugerwa, who manages Prestige Hotel Mbalwa that sits within close proximity of the Catholic Basilica, says.

By Thursday evening, a number of hotels, motels, lodges and other accommodation spaces in the area had not registered any pilgrim bookings. The few that had confessed they expected to do better. 
At Unik Hotel in Kyaliwajjala, one of the lodging facilities doing relatively well, was only half-booked by Thursday evening. 

Although the facility had hopes that more clients would check in as time went by, Huzail Luzinda—its marketing manager—told us that the pilgrimage has not played in their favour. The pre-pandemic period, Luzinda offered, brought better paydays. The facility would be fully-booked a day or two before the main celebrations. Not anymore.

The martyrs’ shrines are located in Namugongo Division, Bulooli Village (Catholics) and Nakiyanja Village (Anglicans) in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District. According to Godfrey Kasasa Muwanga, the senior assistant town clerk, Namugongo Division under Kira Municipal Council, the division has 119 accommodation facilities. These include hotels, motels, guesthouses, inns, lodges, and cottages. Twenty-six of the facilities are in Kyaliwajjala ward, which is a stone’s throw from both shrines.
 
What’s wrong?
Away from the evident living costs crisis, a section of accommodation facilities managers we spoke to attributed the missed opportunity for their industry to several factors. Some, they hastened to add, are beyond their control. 

First, most people who move to Namugongo are Ugandan locals who walk to the shrine from as far as every region of the country. These, according to Mr Mugerwa, choose to spend their nights within the vast compound of the shrines.  

“Apart from buying some cheap food and drinks, there is not much the economy makes from them. They surely do not have the financial muscle to support our industry,” he notes, adding that a number of them are left stranded after the celebrations.  
Another hotel proprietor—who preferred anonymity to speak freely—says the commotion has weighed heavy on them. 

The proprietor added that since there is only one main route used in accessing the shrines, the route from Kyaliwajjala to the Catholic shrine and one from Ssonde to the Anglican shrine, cost adjustments are made. 

Many of their would-be pilgrim clients that move to Namugongo before the main day choose to go directly to the shrine premises where they seek cheap accommodation instead of sleeping in hotels. The pilgrims reason that sleeping in lodging facilities would see them fail to access the main prayer grounds on June 3 due to commotion and hardships associated with moving inside the shrine.
  
Elsewhere, although there are some challenges, it’s evident that the area mostly in close proximity to the shrines lacks the class of accommodation and related services high-end pilgrims desire.  
Most of the accommodation facilities around the area, targeted the normal market and not the tourism market as per Mr Innocent Tumusiime, a development consultant and resident of Namugongo. 

“The few existing average hotels are a bit far from the main shrines in areas like Naalya and Kira and often reach full capacity well in advance, leaving potential guests with no choice but to seek lodging elsewhere further away from the close proximity,” he reasons. 
 
The local average facilities face resistance from the schools around the shrines. The schools usually stagger the start of their second academic term by one week. This is to enable pilgrims to come and use or hire out their classroom and dormitory spaces for accommodation in the few days leading to the main day.

 
Thriving facilities
It is, however, not all doom and gloom. Mr Ben Tenywa, the Catholic shrine’s chief pilgrims guide, told us that there are pilgrims who make prior bookings through the shrine offices. 

“Most of these come from various parts of the world like America, Asia and Europe and we make bookings with some hotels in the area where they spend their time,” he revealed.

Some of these hotels are of relative standard, a distance away from the shrine. They include Rome Gardens Hotel in Kira, Abba Hotel Kyaliwajjala, Unik Hotel, Esella Country Hotel, and Foyer De Charite Retreat Centre. 

Mr Tenywa explains that over the years, these facilities have closely worked with the shrines to provide specialised treatment to respective pilgrims. They usually create for such pilgrims a conducive environment that enables them to be in the Lord while away from the main shrine grounds. 

At Abba hotel where we reached, a number of American pilgrims were expected to arrive on Friday night ahead of the main celebrations. 
At Foyer De Charite, popularly known as Kyoto, a number of pilgrims were hosted in a retreat kind of setting. This provided them with a conducive environment for prayer. Here, by Thursday evening, only three rooms out of the very many in their accommodation spaces were left. 
The clients’ relations personnel intimated to us that bookings are made as early as February.
 
What authorities say
Efforts to get official Martyrs’ Day tourism statistics hit a dead end as officials from both the Tourism ministry and board were away on a tourism campaign in northern Uganda. 

Ms Desire Kansiime, an international faith-based tourism guide, however, questions why the shrines are quiet most part of the year. Official pilgrimages, she adds ought not to be tethered to June 3 and the encumbrances that come with it.

“This will enable these pilgrims to access other spaces like hotels and other services in the area where they leave foreign exchange. The June 3 event deprives them of all these benefits,” she opins. 
Mr Francis Muwonge, the Catholic shrines administrator, says they have a plan of constructing five-star accommodation facilities from within the shrine premises to reduce pilgrims’ fear of not accessing the grounds when they sleep out. 

“This plan falls under our second phase of the shrine premises redevelopment,” he reveals, adding, “We are currently still in phase one, but we have the idea in plan.”
 
What needs to be done?
The impact of the hotel industry’s exclusion from the Martyrs shrines’ economic potential extends beyond accommodation providers. 
Restaurants, souvenir shops, transportation services, and other related businesses are also denied a significant payday during the peak period.

In light of this situation, Mr Tumusiime guides that stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sectors call for collaborative efforts between the government, private sector, and religious institutions to address the challenges and tap into the economic potential presented by the martyrs’ shrines.  

These joint forces need to emphasise the need for increased investment in infrastructure, including the expansion of accommodation options near Namugongo.  

Additionally, promoting and supporting local hotel businesses to cater to the growing number of visitors is crucial for the sustainable development of the tourism industry in the region.
Efforts to improve the hotel industry’s participation in the martyrs shrines’ economic boost would not only benefit the hotels but also contribute to job creation, increase revenue, and overall economic growth in the surrounding areas. 

By capitalising on the immense potential of this religious and cultural event, Uganda has the opportunity to showcase its hospitality, cultural heritage, and religious tolerance to the world, experts say.
As the martyrs’ shrines continue to draw large crowds each passing year, it is essential to ensure that the hotel industry and other related businesses are well-positioned to cater to the needs of the visitors. 

“The lack of proper infrastructure development in the area hampers the growth of the hotel industry. The absence of quality roads, transportation options, and other necessary facilities makes it less attractive for hotel investors to establish their businesses in the vicinity,” Mr Tumusiime says.

To address this issue, the government could consider offering tax deductions to incentivise the construction of large hotels or tourism centres in the Namugongo area. 

By specifically targeting this region, the aim would be to attract private investment and bolster the hospitality infrastructure. Moreover, to facilitate the movement of tourists, special stickers could be provided to buses transporting guests, ensuring seamless access to the pilgrimage site. 

By addressing the challenges faced by the sector and fostering a supportive environment, Uganda can maximise the economic benefits of this significant religious event while providing visitors with a memorable and comfortable experience.