The Enugu State Government, in collaboration with the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), has initiated a three-day training program for the Enugu State Tourism Board and hotel staff.
The objective behind this initiative is to enhance sustainable tourism development while elevating the standards and operations within the hospitality sector of the state.
Addressing the commencement of the training, Dame Rita Mbah, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Tourism Board, emphasized that tourism stands as a pivotal sector in the Dr. Peter Mbah administration’s ambitious goal to escalate the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.
Hence, it the imperative to equip the State Tourism Board’s staff and hotel workers with essential skills and best practices to ensure efficient and high-quality service delivery.
Dame Mbah underscored the global significance of tourism as the leading employer of labor and a cornerstone of numerous economies worldwide.
“Today, we are here with the first batch of trainees in the hospitality industry to teach them how to do things concerning the best practices in the tourism sector.
“Governor Peter Mbah is set to transform the Enugu economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion and has given us all the support to reposition the state’s tourism and hospitality sector to contribute significantly to the envisioned GDP.
“I also want to thank the leadership of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism for approving this training for the tourism sector in Enugu,” she said.
On his part, the Director-General of NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, commended Governor Mbah’s commitment to capacity building in the state’s tourism and hospitality industry, assuring that the training was tailored towards responding to the emerging needs of the industry and to bridge the unemployment gap in Nigeria.
“Travel and Tourism are recovering fast and will continue to be at the forefront of wealth and employment creation in the global economy.
“The United Nations World Tourism Organization reported that in 2020, over 2.6 million people were employed in different segments of Travel and Tourism in Nigeria.
“Going by this, it is undoubtedly true that the tourism and hospitality sector can re-engineer, revamp, and rejig the nation, as well as diversify Nigeria’s dependence on crude oil,” the Director General said.
Kangiwa, who was represented by the Director of Tourism, NIHOTOUR, Edwin Enenta, assured of NIHOTOUR’s continued partnership with the Enugu State Government.
Meanwhile, the Director of Hospitality, NIHOTOUR, Ibrahim Baba, told newsmen that the training was expertly designed to upscale the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of the personnel.
