Ekiti Tourism & Hospitality News

By Ola Johnson

Ekiti State Tourism & Hospitality Regulation Task Force ( EKSTHRTF) has announced the full resumption of its oversight duties. The announcement was made by the Director, Ekiti State Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism, Prince Adebanji Adelusi.

According to him, the Task Force is set to enforce full compliance with the State Tourism and Hospitality Registration and Licensing Law 2020 which is already in force. Adelusi, explained that the Task Force would also begin to clamp down on hospitality outlets that are being run in defiance to standard regulation and best practices across the State.

He explained that stakeholders who have already registered and have being licensed have nothing to be worried about, provided they abide by all standard regulations as contained in the Law.

Ekiti State Tourism & Hospitality Regulation Task Force ( EKSTHRTF) was inaugurated to enforce standard regulation as well as the registration and licensing formalities of all hospitality outlets in Ekiti State. It began full operations early this year.

The Honorable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Professor Bakare Ojo Rasaki directed the Task Force to go on break to further give stakeholders additional moratorium (after the 24 months already granted them by Ekiti State Government in 2020). They are now expected to have fully complied with the ᴇᴋɪᴛɪ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴇ ᴛᴏᴜʀɪꜱᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏꜱᴘɪᴛᴀʟɪᴛʏ ʀᴇɢɪꜱᴛʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴄᴇɴꜱɪɴɢ ʟᴀᴡ ᴏꜰ 2020 by completing all registration and licensing formalities. Professor Bakare explained that Ekiti State Government has shown enough magnanimity by giving a long moratorium, negotiating with the stakeholders and agreeing with them on the amount to be paid for licensing and registration.

In line with the agreement signed by both the representatives of the Ekiti State Hoteliers’ Association and the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism, the Task Force had given Hoteliers the entire month of June as an additional period of grace for the completion of necessary formalities.

All stakeholders, particularly Hoteliers are being advised to heed the call for official registration and licensing to avoid being shut down.

According to a member of the Sensitization Committee of the Task Force, Ola Johnson, any outlet caught not registered, or found operating below acceptable standard, would be shut down. Such outlets may not also be reopened immediately, even after paying penalty fees in addition to the original fees.

The Ministry also announced the concessional reduction in the registration and licensing fees to give stakeholders more leverage.

Prince Adelusi made this known in his office before the Eid el Kabir holidays. He explained that the reduction was another government’s efforts to further encourage stakeholders to do the needful. He said the Kayode Fayemi administration has shown serious commitment to the growth of the sector by investing hugely in tourism-stimulating programmes and enacting laws and policies aimed at driving the sectoral stakeholders towards prosperity.

Adelusi said the only way to compliment the efforts of Ekiti State Government and show their counterpart commitment to the growth of the sector, by the stakeholders, is to comply with all necessary standard regulations and complete all necessary formalities.

He confirmed that the next few weeks would be tough for hoteliers and stakeholders who have shown defiance in spite of the various sensitization efforts of the Ministry. The clamp down on defaulters would cut across all classes of hospitality outlets such as hotels, eateries and restaurants across the State. All operators of tourism businesses and activities like tours and travels, seminars, eco-tourism activities, shows etc would not be spared, he said.