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About 4.5 trillion dollars were lost by the tourism and hospitality sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and over 770,000 jobs were lost in the sector in Nigeria alone,Mr. Andrew Brown, Regional Director World Travel & Tourism Council (WTC) has said.
He disclosed this in his goodwill message
at a tourism confab organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group,where he also said
Pre-COVID19, travel and tourism accounted for 330 million jobs worldwide,adding that the figure is expected to grow to 440 million by 2030.
He implored operators in the sectors to adopt safe travel steps and implement protocols that will help travelers feel safe when they travel.
He disclosed that women account for 54 percent of all jobs in travel and tourism and stakeholders should continue to encourage all activities that will foster an equitable environment that will allow women thrive in the workplace.
In the first design session on cross-cutting industry governance issues, Mrs. Patricia Narai, Director, Domestic & Eco-Tourism Promotion & Control Department, Federal Ministry of Information & Culture (FMIC) said that the ministry is working on promoting domestic tourism to school students and in the area of eco-tourism which is interrelated with the ministry of environment, they are collaborating to help secure National parks and in the against illicit trafficking, poaching and illegal trading in certain extinction-prone animals such as pangolin and elephants.
In his opening remarks,the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration services (NIS), Muhammed Babandede,emphasized the import of tourism as an enabler of liberalized entry for Nigerians to help aid the sector.
He said the NIS recognizes other forms of tourism,adding religious tourism should be encouraged and the visa policy should be addressed to aid the development of the sector.
Alhaji Aminu Agoha, Chairman, Tourism Consultants Forum,advocated the need said to eradicate multiple taxes in the hospitality industry and strengthening pf the power sector to make it cheap and available
In the second design session on deep dive industry operations issues, Mr. Trevor Ward, Managing Director W Hospitality Group said that the industry is all about people and it’s a paradox that despite job losses in the sector in America, the industry is still short-staffed because people have willfully withdrawn from the industry as a result of economics, as such there is a need to improve staff welfare to attract more people to the sector.
Chief Tomi Akingbogun, Proprietor, Rosebud Hotels, Abuja said that security is paramount and there has to be proper infrastructural development including railways and good road networks to aid tourism. He also mentioned that there was a need to improve in the ease of doing business ranking to encourage investors to aid the development of the sector.
Speaking,the Chief Executive Officer of Tantalizers Plc, Ms. Bose Ayeni said that the hospitality is experiencing problems of instability as a result of regulatory, operational, infrastructural and logistical costs.
She said the sectors experience multiple taxation from federal to subnational governments,adding that financial institutions should provide long-term loans with a favourable period of re-payment.
During the special comment session, Ms. Lola Akinmade of Geotraveler Media said her startup is helping create an experience where people can visit all parts of Nigeria virtually and helping to create platforms that will encourage people to later visit such locations physically later on.
Mr. Francis Anatogu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Sector Matters/Secretary, National Action Committee on Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) said that liberalization of the tourism and hospitality sectors will allow for speedy economic growth for the country and the removal of barriers of trade across Africa through market access, will do a lot to boost trade and regional cohesion.
Besides,Mr. Anatogu said that there is an AfCFTA protocol related to air safety and along with other provisions will allow for cross-country trade and development across Africa.
Mr. Guy Murray Bruce, CEO Silverbird Organization said that the pandemic resulted in a 70 percent loss in entertainment revenue for their company and that despite the interventions instituted by government, the hospitality and tourism sector is struggling to stay afloat.
He encouraged government to liberalize tourism and hospitality policies and help the sectors generate much needed employment opportunities for the country.
The Imo State Commissioner for Tourism, Mazi Uche Ohia, said that government is interested in promoting tourism by expanding visitor traffic to the tourist sites in the state and ensuring that investors and the private sector get returns on investment.
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