Oyo State government in collaboration with the Hoteliers Association of Nigeria (HAN), Oyo State chapter, have concluded arrangements on the sensitization and awareness programmes for the hotel, night club and other hospitality venture operators in the state.
The state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, who disclosed this at a press conference on Wednesday, said that initiative is in line with Governor Seyi Makinde’s plan to use tourism to drive the state economy.
He said that the purpose is to ensure that all operators of hotels, night clubs and other hospitality businesses are duly registered with the state government.
Dr. Olatunbosun, who expressed the readiness of the state government to clampdown of unregistered hotels, night clubs and tour agencies, notifying that the sensitization will commence next week and will cut across the 33 local government areas in the state.
The Commissioner maintained that the governor has provided all necessary infrastructures such as good road network, security architecture and enabling environment in place to ensure that businesses thrive.
He added that this has led to the astronomically increase in the numbers of hoteliers, night clubs, event centres and other hospitality ventures in the state.
According to Dr. Olatunbosun, “At the commencement of the second tem of the current administration of His Excellency Engr. Sey Makinde, FNSE, the Executive Governor of Oyo state, it was explicitly and categorically stated in the Omituntun 2.0 road map for sustainable development that the state economy would be driven by Tourism, Hospitality and creative Economy and this was sequel to the provision of all necessary infrastructures and facilities during the Omituntun 1.0 era.
“Roads were constructed to link all the tourism corridors together, inter and intra-city road networks are also dualized and rehabilitated to ease movement, all the security agencies in the state are well funded with the procurement of patrol vans and massive recruitment of able-bodied men and women into the Oyo State Security Network (Amotekun Corps) and there is also a great improvement in environmental beautification and sanitation including management of open public spaces among others.
“In addition, the State Government is adopting various strategies to generate traffics to the state among which are hosting of various festivals and programmes such as Aso-Ofi Festival at Iseyin, Iyake Festival at Ado Awaye, World Sango Festival at Oyo, Ogbomoso Cradle Festival at Ogbomoso, world Twins Festival at Igbo-Ora, World Egungun Festival and International Tourism Summit at Ibadan and recently, the Ibadan Valentine Cruise on Eleyele Lake, Ibadan.
“The survey also indicates that there is an astronomical increase in the numbers of hoteliers, night clubs, event centres and other hospitality ventures in the state. It is however disheartening that in spite of the enabling environment erected by the current administration for the hospitality sector to thrive some of the operators in the sector failed to register their enterprise with the State Government and consequently, deny the government of internally generated revenue (IGR) and necessary data for planning purpose
“To this end, the Ovo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism in conjunction with members of Hoteliers Association of Nigeria (HAN), Oyo State chapter has completed all arrangement to embark on sensitization and awareness visit to hotels, night clubs, event centres, and other similar hospitality centres within the state.
“The idea is to ensure that all the operators in the hospitality sector register with the State Government, secure the numbers and spatial distribution of the hospitality enterprises for planning, security and safety purposes, the grading and standardization of the centres, the fishing out of illegal and suspicious ones among them, boosting the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State Government and others,” the Commissioner said.
In his remarks, the President of Hoteliers Association of Nigeria (HAN) , Oyo State chapter, Mr. Ayodele Ogundele, identified tourism and hospitality business as a major booster of the state’s internally generated revenue and employment opportunity.
Speaking on the importance of the initiative, He said that it will serve as an avenue to address areas the sector is falling short including identification of operators, tracking of guests’ movement for security purpose, free flow of information among the operators and training and re-training of staff for upgrade and professionalism.
Ogundele disclosed that HAN, Oyo State has been confronted on several occasions by the security operatives regarding the unregistered entities springing up, which he told them it is beyond the power of the association, except it is under the purview of the state government.
The HAN President expressed delight that the initiative will enable the operators of all existing hotels and hospitality ventures to register and re-register under the state government, where they will have to pay their dues to the government and as well, reduce the crime rates being perpetrated in the hotels and hospitality establishments especially the unregistered ones.
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