World Travel and Tourism Council (WTC) Regional Director Andrew Brown has said over 770,000 jobs were lost in the travel and tourism sector in Nigeria as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He spoke during a forum organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Creatives and Sports as a business (THECS).
Speaking on the theme: Repositioning Nigeria’s Tourism and Hospitality sectors for Sustainable Growth and Profitability, Brown said pre-COVID 19, travel and tourism accounted for 330 million jobs worldwide and that figure is expected to grow to 440 million by 2030.
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He, however, noted that about $4.5 trillion were lost by the tourism and hospitality sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and over 770,000 jobs were lost in the sector in Nigeria alone.
Co-chair, THECS Policy Commission and board member of the NESG, Mr Udeme Ufot, said Nigeria was uniquely positioned as an all-year-round tourism destination with a strong domestic tourism sector; rich natural resources; and a variety of associated attractions including music, entertainment, sports, religion and a very rich cultural heritage.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, while delivering a presentation on Tourism & Hospitality Sectors as Catalysts for Nigeria’s Economic Recovery, said tourism has tremendous growth opportunities for the Nigerian economy and that the sectors continue to have potentials for growth.
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