By Francis Ogwo
The Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN) has called on the Federal Government to include the tourism sector in its economic plans as the nation takes positive steps of recovery from the Covid-19 global pandemic.
According to a report by Chuks Nwanne in the Guardian, the National President of the Institute, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, emphasized the degree of damage the tourism sector, which is involved in movement of people and goods, has suffered from the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
Obasanjo stated that there is a serious halt on the activities of the Tourism sector, especially with the lockdown orders.
“Globally, the tourism and hospitality industry is very badly affected by pandemics because of the nature of the business, which is always related to the travelling of people. History has shown that epidemics and pandemics have an immediate impact on the hotels and restaurants, airlines industries, travel agencies and others, due to the international travel restrictions and government measures of imposing lockdowns.
“As long as the pandemic lasts, the impact on tourism will be irreversible, leading to a myriad of operational challenges and losses.”
Speaking further, Odusanwo said hospitality business in Nigeria is currently counting huge losses running into billions resulting from cancellations.
He also lamented that unemployment will increase geometrically with the current state of travel agencies and tour operators.
“Unemployment will skyrocket in the sector; travel agencies and tour operators will go bankrupt. Transfer companies will be economically destroyed and all forms of travels will be completely grounded. The labour force in the sector will suffer a similar fate, as employees will be forced to take unpaid leaves and a few, offered part-time works where skeletal services are offered. This is where tourism professionals, who are members of ITPN, will be in greater dilemma and at risks of confronting survival in a sector that has become comatose,” he concluded.
The statement highlighted areas of required attention to include: grant of moratorium period for all bank facilities granted operators in the Travel, Hospitality and the Tourism Sub-sectors for a period of not less than 6 months; Tax-Free regime in the 1Q and 2Q of year 2020 as part of Post Covid-19 measures.
Intervention; Immediate promotion of domestic tourism as an inward strategy to boost inbound tourism due to impending dwindling fortunes of international travel bans and restrictions, and financial intervention of N15.5 billion for job losses, pay cuts, sustainable professional competency training for members across the country and N30billion economic stimulus for the sector.
The ITPN President requested that members of ITPN should be included to participate in the intervention measures and fund disbursement processes, assuring that the Institute is readily disposed to galvanizing the inputs of all sub-sectorial key players and critical stakeholders in terms of figures and statistical data for a holistic inclusion of all to benefit from the intervention and palliative measures.
It is believed that the fortunes of the tourism sector which is the cultural exchange of the country, would be greatly depleted without conscious attention given towards its revamp.
