Akpan Itoro, General Manager of Success Villa Luxury Hotel in Calabar,the Cross River State capital, has come a long way in the hospitality industry. Akpan, who started out at Nanet Hotels Limited in Kaduna, has worked at Benue Hotel, Makurdi, Serengeti Hotel and Hotel El–Sasso. He speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on the relevance of tourism to the economy, the impact of Calabar Carnival on the state, tourism and security challenges.
How relevant is tourism to the growth of the nation’s economy?
Tourism generally is all about the provision of required services to tourists. These services may include but not limited to accommodation, transportation, information and entertainment.
Tourists as we all know are those who engage in traveling for pleasure, researches, recreation etc. Thus, it would be right to state here that tourism plays a paramount role in the nation’s economy. Why do I say so? At any angle one may like to look at nation’s economy, tourism is there. Consider the fact that for tourism to boom convergence of tourists from one place to another is a must. Hence transporters benefit from tourism. It is a known fact that a reasonable number of the nation manpower is found in the transport sector of the economy. More-so tourists feed on information, hence in dissemination of information the Mass Media Practitioners are not left out in the business of tourism. Come to think of the number of hotels eateries, recreational spots, ancient or historic edifices; all these places are maintained or run by people and they earn their living from there. For instance in Cross River State there are about three hundred hotels and these hotel are man by a substantial working population of the indigenes and non indigenes alike. Mention should also be made concerning the middle men in the sector; the contractors, suppliers, tour guides, translators etc. Apart from the sector helping to reduce the rate of unemployment, the taxes, levies etc paid by these establishments go a long way to impact positively on the nation’s economy. To add to the above tourism also play a role in attracting foreign exchange to the economy. The foreigners that visit our shore come with hard currency and this goes a long way to strengthen our economy. In summary, it is on record that tourism employs over 1 per cent of the world labour force.
Considering the state of security in the country, how best can tourism blossom especially in Cross River State?
Well we all know this is challenging period in the country security wise. But it is never an excuse for us in the sector to allow tourism die. It is on this note that I wish to thank security establishments in particular and the government in general for always organizing workshops and seminars on the developments in the security situations in the state. By so doing we are kept abreast of the right ways to keep the sector blossoming. In my personal opinion let it be known that that security is every body’s responsibility, in other word all hands should be on desk to ensure the safety of our working environment. Having said thus, it would be myopic of tourism employees to leave the entire job of security to only security agencies. One comes to this submission knowing full well that human being not spirit works in these establishments. Hence since they are humans just like us they depend on the information at their disposal as directed to them to discharge their duties. Of late, terrorists, armed robbers, etc, activities have become worrisome and have even threatened the peace of the country almost on daily bases. Observations and studies have proved that the insurgents are majorly found in hotels, eateries, transport sectors posing as tourists. Hence we in the industry must at all times be alert to thwart their evil mission. It is on this note that I wish to suggest that employees of this sector should look for under listed tools or materials used in manufacturing explosives (bomb) in tourism environment, these are empty metal containers, batteries, wires, carbide, players, match boxes or lighters. Also be on the watch over possible places explosives or ammunition could be kept. These places include Public toilets, waste bins etc also one should be apprehensive of abandoned bags and vehicles. For staff working in the service areas, they should watch out for customers who stays for too long over a bottle of drink or taking nothing at all, unfamiliar guests, do everything possible to discourage two same sex guests occupying one room, guests or customers who patronise service areas at odd hours of the day and guests who stay longer than necessary.
More so, employees should be advised to be observant at all times. Secondly, the golden role of service should be observed while every suspicious move or object should be reported to appropriate quarters. In conclusion, staff should be encouraged to know security agencies emergency phone numbers and to feel free to call them as at when due. It is my belief that with the above suggestions tourism shall blossom in Cross River State despite the state of security in the country.
Calabar Carnival is a yearly feast. How has this advanced tourism promotion in the state?
First of all permit me to use this medium to thank the government of Mr Donald Duke for taking the initiative to launch the carnival into existence and the subsequent governments for retaining the festival. It is worthy of mentioning here that the festival has been able to place Cross River State in the global tourism map. Apart from that it has also brought to lime light various tourism areas scattered across the state that were hitherto unknown. This bold step has gone a long way in awaking the subconscioussness of investors both within and without the state to invest their resources in the industry. At the backdrop of this, infrastructural development has been in the increase. For instance, the historic sites or monuments are being visited by tourists periodically and other festivals like new yam festivals, age groups festivals are assuming a higher standard in organising and display thereby attracting the attention of so many interest groups in the sector. The carnival has also made the government to construct new roads, motivate investors to embark in the building of world class hotels, conference centers etc. The carnival has also advance tourism development in the area of manpower training and development, because of high demand of good standard and excellence in the industry, both the government and private sector are into training of personnel in the industry. For instance the monitoring body of tourism in the state (Cross River State Tourism Bureau) has been doing its possible best to ensure that many hotels in the state operate at world level standard. The body is also in the business of organizing workshops and trainings, these help to reposition personnel in the industry professionally and the end result is for the advancement of tourism in the state.
What are the major hindrances to hospitality business in the state?
As I did say earlier, the state and the private sector have tried in taking tourism to a new frontier but much still left to be done. There are so many hindrances to hospitality development in the state but the major one is epileptic power supply. This particular challenge has sent many an establishment grumbling. One of the essential services that customers need while patronizing hospitality outfit is constant power supply but unfortunately in the country we have been experiencing incessant power outage. This acts as a great impediment to the growth of the industry having considered the cost of running generator for a greater period of time just to satisfy customers. Another factor that hinders hospitality business in the state is poor road network. It will interest the public to know that some high class hospitality outfits are located in areas that are not motor-able, hence they investors in such businesses find it difficult to make ends meet as a result of poor patronage. Another issue that acts as obstacle to hospitality business is the mind set of some about working in hospitality industry. A lot of people in Nigeria still have this belief that hospitality job is for school drop-outs, prostitutes, less qualified people of the society and as such many do not want to make carrier of it. Such that the industry lack highly qualified manpower to man top posts in the business, secondly the few qualified ones are not well paid. More so lack of training materials in some of the establishments couple with lack of exposure to modern equipments in the sector.
Another hindrance in the business is poor funding. Many investors who have the interest of the industry at heart are incapacitated as result of lack of enough funds to actualize their dreams. Finally, excessive levies and what I may call double taxation on hospitality businesses.
If you were made the commissioner of tourism in the state, what would be your priority?
My priority would be very simple and clear. First of all I would identify genuine stake holders in the business of tourism then collaborate with relevant authorities to enable them actualise their dreams in the industry. Why would I wish to identify the genuine stake holders first? The reason is that the business of tourism is all about service, hence it is service first before every other thing but on the contrary some investors in the industry aspire to get every other thing before service. As a commissioner, I would do my very best to convince the state government to open tourism based financial institution that is empowered to to assist both government agencies, private bodies and even individuals to get loans to fund their tourism projects. If Agriculture has a similar institution why not tourism after all statistics show that tourism is competing very well with Agriculture in employment of labour. Secondly, during my tenure I would do everything possible to erase the erroneous belief that tourism is for school drop-outs or for those who are not well sound educationally. These I will do by encouraging proper orientation both in schools and offices. Thus encouraging many to make career in the sector just as what is obtainable in many countries of the world. For instance countries like Brazil, Jamaica, Kenya etc are building their economies around tourism. I would also place as my priority putting square pegs in a square hole to show case professionalism. Apart from that accountability would be my watchword because every fund coming the way of my ministry must be judiciously used to proof a point. In a nutshell there are still much to be done with regards to tourism in the state even though the past administrations have achieved much but the industry is in a state of dynamism hence i would embark on research in-order to bring much dividend to government in particular and the society in general.
What are the unique selling points of Success Villa Luxury Hotel? I mean what separates it from other competitors?
In one sentence, I would say rendering satisfactory services before monetary rewards has been our watch-word and recognizes God in all our endeavours.
What are your lessons in the industry?
I wish to state here that the factor that plays a very prominent role in the survival of the business is the human factor. What I mean is that beautiful edifices, state – of- the- art furnishing etc do play part in business patronage but service is the ultimate. Yes it is the service rendered that do attract a lot of patronages to a business concern. Hence, much attention should be paid on how we train our staff and how we take care of their welfare. Secondly experience has also taught me that it is not advisable to nurse sentiment while recruiting or employing staff both in the managerial and lower cadre. In summary, ours is service oriented business, from experience I have discovered that one must strive to satisfy clients first before looking for monetary rewards.
