Rwenzori Tourism Academy started in 2019 as a collaboration between RENA Foundation Uganda, EyeOpenerWorks, and Matoke Tours. RENA Foundation Uganda is a local NGO and as a leading partner, it makes sure that the academy is well-embedded and embraced locally. EyeOpenerWorks brings in the innovative approach towards skilling, whereas Matoke Tours ensures that the academy fits well to the needs of the tourism sector. On what was almost the first day of its existence, we invited the major lodges in the region to outline what are the skills they are looking for in their staff. That became the basis of our teaching!

During the first training cycle, Makerere University recognized the added value of the academy and as such, a formal partnership between the two organizations has been established.

However, as the Rwenzori region boasts a great variety of tourism hotspots, the tourism sector could potentially provide jobs to numerous local young people. But if so many young locals are looking for jobs, how come that most tourism companies in the region are still struggling to find the right staff?

To answer that question, one has to look at the most important skills for tourism & hospitality:

the ability to understand what are the needs and wishes of individual clients and how to make sure that they enjoy their time to the fullest!  In order to do that, you need skills in communication, customer service, problem-solving, teamwork and an understanding of what it’s like being a tourist. Hardly any training institution in Uganda puts those skills at the forefront of their training. But at Rwenzori Tourism Academy, we do just that.