REGULATING HOTEL OPERATIONS

The Lagos state governor, speaking yesterday at the state house when he inaugurated the Hotel Grading and Classification Reviews and Appeal Committee tasked the Federal government to effectively strengthen and fund its security agencies at the borders to enable hospitality and tourism grow. Good talk, but beyond that consideration must be on provision of infrastructures that will enable the industry thrive. That is not the news.

If you do not belong to the over 80% of our literate population who chose not to read and you are conversant with the social media; you may have come across my previous article on the 6 years legal imbroglio. Arising from the deserved victory, the state government has swung into action by creating public awareness, inaugurating a committee to control hotel grading and classification and sending a bill to the house of assembly. These are sure steps towards the syndication of the industry by the state government. Here, I differ. Again, this is no news.

Tourism traffic has increased significantly in the last year according to a survey by an international agency that similarly ranked Lagos as the most visited city after Dubai with 22million visitors. Guess this must have been made possible more by the political crisis in Egypt, Tunisia and other African nations that used to be tourist attractions in the continent rather than by any deliberate government policy. Therefore there is need to consolidate on this advantage as the state government attempts to sanitize the industry. On this, am on the same page with the state government. You will agree with me that this is no news either.

What is however new and news is that the hospitality consultants and the hotel owners are yet to be heard on this evolving relevant matter. Granted that the hospitality consultants do not have a professional body from where they can make contributions; the senior colleagues in the profession should be able to call a press conference to make their voices heard and counted. Policy that has a direct bearing on the industry shouldn't be done without taking cognizance of our professional input. Equally, the hotel owners' laid-back attitude may come to haunt their hotels later, long after the state government must have wrapped up policy and bill has metamorphosed into law. Crying over spilled milk will hardly assuage our guests.

At the risk of sounding like a cracked disc, the onus is on the stakeholders in the industry not to leave this rebuilding process to the politicians, political contractors and civil servants alone. It is too risky for the industry. Hospitality and tourism is ranked a little below the oil industry in terms of economic frontier expansion. It requires far more focus and wider participation. 

The committee is headed by a former presidential candidate and selection to the committee may have been made on merit and on other considerations. What is vital belatedly is to get to know members of the committee and submit memo to them. By now, we ought to have dissected the bill so as to follow the assembly when the reading starts. The future is today. Honestly.

<span class="post_sig">Patrick Adegbamigbe

Hospitality Consultant

080 57736980</span>