Ekiti Tourism & Hospitality News

By Folarin Johnson

Ekiti State Tourism and Hospitality Task Force on Wednesday met with the leadership of Ekiti State Hoteliers’ Association in Ado-Ekiti on a courtesy visit.

The leadership of the Association had invited the Task Force composed of the officers of the newly constituted department of Tourism and Hospitality in the State to the meeting of the Association. The meeting held at the mini event hall of Queens Court Hotel Ado-Ekiti.

The invitation, according to the Association, was to discuss various issues relating to the ongoing inspection visit of the Task Force to hospitality facilities in the State and the enforcement of the Ekiti State Tourism and Hospitality Regulation and Licensing Law 2020.

The Association, during the interface, highlighted their various grievances against Ekiti State Government to include the non-composition of the State Tourism Board which, according to them, was expected to include the representatives of the Association. Other complaints include the limiting of the benefits of the potential gains of the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST 2021) which the State hosted to grade “A” hotels, whereas taxes and revenues are always imposed on all hotels by government regardless of grade or class. The Association also expressed displeasure at the epileptic state of power supply which makes many hotel contemplate closing their businesses down.

While appreciating the long moratorium given by the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism before the commencement of the enforcement exercise, the leadership of the Association requested a possible downward review of the registration and Licensing fees hotels and other hospitality outlets are expected to pay.

Responding, the leader of the Task Force and Director of Tourism and Hospitality Management in the Ministry, Mr. Adebanji Adelusi thanked the leadership for receiving the team to their meeting.

He acquainted the Association with the vision and the objectives the department of Tourism is set to fulfil. He emphasized that the interest of the Hoteliers’ as well as the general public is central to those objectives.

Adelusi explained that the long moratorium was in conscious attempt to ensure ease of meeting their registration obligations to the State. He explained that as at the moment, no hotel is considered legally existing in the State until the registration obligations are met; hence no legal justification to expect any obligation from government before then.

The leader of the Task Force further called the attention of the leadership of the Association to the fact that the investment of Fayemi administration on tourism is aimed mainly towards attracting economic investment and commercial opportunities to the State. Such opportunities also extend to the hospitality sector which is to provide services to visitors driven to the State by tourism events and programmes. He lamented the fact that most people who come to the State find most hotels aside those classified as grade A hotels inhabitable because of poor services, poor facilities and lack of proper maintenance.

Adelusi recalled that about 5000 people were attracted to the State through NAFEST last year December. 20% of the population stayed in hotels. The reason why many hotels failed to have full positive impact, according to him, was either because of their poor services or pathetic state of their facilities.

He therefore urged hotel owners to upgrade their facilities and services noting that, even with the high cost of maintenance, some hotels still enjoy relatively higher patronage.

On whether the licensing and registration fee could be reviewed downward, Adelusi explained that Ekiti State fee charged for registration is the lowest. He said the highest amount to be paid by a 3 star hotel as a one-off registration fee is just N100,000 while hotels in other categories are expected to pay N40,000. Annual renewal fee is 50%. He asserted that hotels in Osun, Oyo and other neighbouring States pay much more.

He further explained that the Ministry would facilitate regular capacity building for hotel managers and staff by partnering with relevant training institutions. This is part of the things the sector stakeholders stand to benefit from fulfilling their legal obligations as required by EKTHLR Law 2020.

He promised the commitment of the Honorable Commissioner of the Ministry of Arts, Culture & Tourism Prof Rasaki Ojo Bakare towards further attracting government’s support to the hospitality sector in the State.

The interface ended with an agreement to mutually collaborate to drive compliance with the State Tourism and Hospitality Licensing and Regulation Law as well as driving membership for the Association.