Akwa Ibom Tourism Industry: Where Are The Hoteliers?
By UbongAbasi Ise
Modern technology is yet to
come up with innovations that would help people travel at ease with their
houses in a way that when they reach their destination, they pull them up for
accommodation. Even if such conception is possible, the question of land and
security would still pop up at the point of setting up the house. Since such reality is farfetched and
impracticable, hotels continue to remain a veritable option for people travelling
away from home; they also feature significantly as a huge component of tourism.
As records hold, tourism is now an emerging giant sector
in today’s economy as the world is increasingly becoming a globalized
community. In search of resources, opportunities and fun outside their
immediate environment, people irrespective of race and culture are defying
community, state, national and international boundaries to ensure they get to right
location. In other words, they prefer exciting environments to do business and
to unwind after hectic period devoted for work. Sport activities, cultural
festivities, religious and political arrangements also contribute in taking
people out of their homes to another man’s
land. When people leave their homes, what they think next is how they would be
accommodated at their destination. They are concerned about the safety of the
environment and could not help being excited about experience their destination
hold in stock for them.
Therefore, whenever travelers think their destination,
they think shelter. This is where hotel comes in. As Akwa Ibom State is seeking
to place herself conspicuously on the world map of tourism, and to become one
of the global destinations vis-à-vis industrialization, there arises the need
to interrogate the place of hoteliers in the scheme of things.
The Umbrella Body Of Akwa Ibom State Hoteliers
The hotel owners in Akwa Ibom
State have organized themselves under the umbrella of Akwa Ibom State Hotel
Proprietors Association, AHPA. On Wednesday 27th December 2017
during the end-of-the-year party at Tranquility Hotels in Uyo, the body swore
in Sir Aniefiok Alexander to continue another tenure as its President.
Other members
that took the oath of office in a swearing-in ceremony conducted by Barr. Peter
Ndem included: Mr. Emman Da Moon (Vice President); Barr. Sylvester Akpan
(General Secretary); Elder Peter Akpan (Treasurer); Princess Petronilla Michael Nkanta (Public Relations
Officer); Vera Daniel (Welfare); Engr. (Dr.) Walter Ibiok (Auditor General);
Mr. Polynus Asuquo (Financial Secretary) and Mr. Godwin Akpan (Assistant
Secretary).
Where Are The Hoteliers In The Tourist Paradise?
Akwa Ibom State can be a
tourist delight. Coupled with her
rich cultural heritage, the State has a tremendous potential to attract
tourists all over the world. Besides being one of the major oil producing
states in Nigeria, she can boast of tourist attractions which include long
stretch of sand beach on Atlantic Ocean. Other places are Blue River in
Ukanafun, Point-Of-No-Return in Ikot Abasi, Oron Meseum, Old Qua Iboe River, Unity
Park along Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo; Godswill Akpabio International Stadium where
international football matches are played as well as exquisite hotels and
eateries where both local and international cuisines are served.
As a predominantly Christian State, church programmes bring
a lot of visitors across boundaries to the state. Political and government
events as well as non-governmental activities also pull the weight, and make
the state a destination.
At the
moment, the state is undergoing industrialization which means the policy is
drawing nationals of different countries to the state. Last yuletide, the state
organized a street groove and beach party under the Ukapisua theme which attracted a lot of visitors, and further opened
the state to the world. But the question is, how is the state hotel sector
organized to accommodate guests, and to give a unique ex
perience to visitors
expected in this tourist paradise?
Probably, it
seems the proprietors of hotel businesses in Akwa Ibom State have not been
given significant role to play in the state’s tourism industry; maybe that is
why most tourist sites in the state are not faring better. For instance, while
interacting with The Sensor recently, Mrs. Petronilla Michael Nkanta, the
AHPA Public Relations Officer, pointed out that if Unity Park at Udo Udoma is
allowed to be run by AHPA, the place would have been transformed into a
money-spinning business that could have fetched the state huge income.
“If the tourist
site at Udo Udoma is given to hoteliers association, we would know what to
install there and be making millions of naira every month and every festive
time. But they (state government) refused to give us, and refused to privatize
the tourist site.
“Let’s look
at Ibeno: Ibeno Beach is no longer functioning; what about the old Qua Iboe
River, the Uta Ewa Bridge that have been abandoned? The Point Of No Return
supposed to be the major tourist site but what are we doing about it? She queried.
Sir Tony
Afia, a prominent figure in the hospitality business in the state, while
speaking with The Sensor immediately
after AHPA Exco inauguration in December 2017, cited an example in Calabar
where the Cross River State government doled out grants to the hoteliers to
help them fix their hotels in order to comfortably receive tourists trooping
into the state. In the same vein, he underscored the importance of involving
the hotel proprietors in the state in the development of tourism industry.
“The
important thing is for the state government to invite us, especially to the
tourism board, and should be able to organize us, and see exactly our
difficulties, and how to put the hotels in order so as to attract people both
local and internationally,” Afia said.
Problems Facing Proprietors of Hotels In Akwa Ibom State
In his inaugural speech, the
President of AHPA, Sir Aniefiok Alexander, stressed that the problem of
multiple taxation is affecting the business performance of hospitality sector
in the state, and sent SOS to Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“We also
appeal to our dear Governor to please look into the issue of double taxation in
the state as it affects the hospitality sector the more,” he said.
While
speaking with The Sensor, Sir
Alexander said that hoteliers are taxed more than those in other business
sectors. He disclosed that there are about 13 agencies of government collecting
taxes from hotels at the moment.
The AHPA
President also pointed at the area of power supply saying that the hoteliers are
groaning under the heavy weight of high cost of diesel, petrol and high
estimated bills slammed on them by the power distributing company.
According to AHPA
PRO, Mrs. Michael who is also the General Manager of Tranquility Hotels, the
hoteliers pay huge amount of money for power supply but have blackout.
“At
Tranquility Hotels, we pay N411,000 which has now reduce to N331,000 monthly, I
have receipt to show. But at the end of the day, we don’t have light that can
carry air conditioner. We don’t have light for 3 hours consecutively.
“So the biggest
challenge for hoteliers, and the biggest thing that is shutting down hotels in
Akwa Ibom State is what is call NEPA or whatever name given to it. That is the
menace we are facing in the hotel business.”
A Call For Bail Out
According to AHPA PRO, the
bailout fund has been issued out to hoteliers in Calabar, Lagos and Port
Harcourt. For instance, the government of Cross River State gave grants to
hoteliers to renovate and facelift their hotels. This went a long way to help
the hospitality sector, and that is why hotels in Calabar are amongst the best
in the country today. According to her, “if Akwa Ibom State government would
wake up from slumber and acknowledge the fact that we are the second labour
employer in this State, they should then bail us out from the economic crunch.
Most of us have not been able to facelift our facilities. If Govt comes to
help, fine then. This would restore us and we will be able to pay the taxes and
levies. So it is the special wish of the hoteliers that we be given a bailout
fund.”
During his
inaugural speech, the President of the association, Sir Aniefiok Alexander
hinted that the association would call on the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel
to provide the hotel owners in the state with grants to enable them upgrade
their facilities to acceptable standard.
“We will
appeal to Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel for a bailout or grants to hotel owners
to improve their facilities to standard because hospitality industry is the
second highest employee of labour in the state, as it is done in other
sectors,” he said.
What Hotel Sector Can Achieve For Akwa Ibom State Economy
Hotels in Akwa Ibom State, so
far, has helped a lot in cutting down to size the rate of unemployment amongst
the youths. In Tranquility Hotels alone, Mrs. Petronilla Nkanta said there are
34 workers. And out of these 34 workers, there are 24 graduates while there are
other ones coming from different levels of education. “You can imagine how one
hotel could take over 30 people out of the streets,” she said.
If the hospitality
sector in the state is repositioned and co-opted into tourism programmes of the
state government, there would be increase in employment; the
internally-generated revenue would be hugely realized. As the state is seeking
to become the world’s top destination, the aim could be achieved if hotels domiciled
in the state are made to deliver excellent services.
Advice To Guber Candidates On Tourism
As 2019 general elections are
drawing closer, Mrs. Nkanta has this to tell gubernatorial candidates:
“Because most
politicians don’t learn; they don’t need advice but if they need it, I would
like to tell them as a woman that has travelled far and wide to places like
Europe, America and Asian countries, that if you don’t draft in tourism in the
plans of your governance, you will be losing dollars and pounds because tourism
is all about income. And the visitors, as they are coming in, are bringing us
income. They are the people that would multiply our economy, and help our
economy to grow. So I would advise them to take tourism as paramount. What are
the points you are going to present to the people in your manifesto? Have you included tourism? This is one of the
things that bring in foreigners into countries.”
Source: The Sensor Business Discourse
For publicity on entrepreneurs/businesses, contact UbongAbasi Ise on 08189914609 | Email ubongabasiise.gmail.com
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