Tourism: Don Seeks Hotels Of International Standards

A lecturer in the  Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Oladele Falade, has urged hospitality investors to develop hotels of international standard to aid influx of tourists.

Falade said in Lagos that most hotels in the country were of poor standard, therefore, investors should improve on standards.

According to him, hotels have over the years greatly impacted on the development of tourism in the country.

“Hotels are assets to the development of tourism in the country and investors should improve on the standard of hotels built across the country to aid continuance inflow of tourists,’’ Falade said.

He explained that to establish a viable hotel brand capable of attracting tourists, investors should have adequate knowledge of the global hotel industry.

Falade said that “hotels in the global community have modern infrastructure and Internet facilities installed for clients satisfaction. Tourist will prefer to travel to country with such technology.”

He said that Nigeria would stand to lose in the inflow of tourists, if the hospitality industry did not measure up in the international arena in the nearest future, adding that this would lead to economic loss.

The don, therefore, urged government agencies in charge of hotels to ensure that investors adhered to the required standards while developing hotels.

“Time has come to compete in the international arena, therefore, hotel investors should emulate their international counterparts,” Falade said.