By Palma Ileye
Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa has appealed to professional bodies in the tourism and hospitality industry to sanitize professional practices in the sector by registering professionals in their folds and guard against the infiltration of quacks into the sector.
Kangiwa who made the appeal when he received the elected executive members of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators, NATOP, led by the National President, Ime Udo on a courtesy visit at the Abuja headquarters of the Institute, said it was about time people discard the erroneous impression that to practice in tourism and hospitality fields was simple and easy without requiring formal training and thus, opened to all comers.
He noted that to practice in any of the professional arms of the industry, one does not only need formal training for a start, but that it must be a continuous exercise to train and re-train so as to be adequately equipped with the requisite skills for competency and proficiency in professional conducts in line with best global practices, adding that NIHOTOUR was readily available to offer quality training services to all practicing and intending members of the public in all tourism and hospitality trades.
The Director General further expressed the readiness of the Institute to partner with all professional bodies in the industry, including NATOP, for massive training of members as part of efforts to overcome the challenges of existing skill gaps in the sector which was hindering effective, efficient and quality service delivery.
Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation and National President of NATOP, Ime Udo, said they were at the Institute to pay solidarity visit on the Director General with the view to exploring possible ways of synergy in the area of manpower training and capacity development of its members.
She stressed that Nigerian tourism industry was in dire need of synergy between and amongst critical stakeholders and key players of the industry in both public and private sectors.
Udo, who was in company of some Executive Members of the Association which includes, Olubunmi Balqees, Secretary General; Cecile Mambo, Vice President–FCT, Abuja/North Central and Amos Opoola, Financial Secretary, said part of her campaign promises was to take NATOP to its pinnacle as a professional body in tour operations in the country, seeks strong partnership with NIHOTOUR to strengthen NATOP as a force to be reckoned with in terms of ethical professional conducts and practices.
