Hoteliers under the aegis of Nigeria Hotel Association, Nasarawa State Chapter has appealed for a N1.5 billion stimulus package from the state government to help cushion the effects of coronavirus pandemic on their business.
Abeku Danjuma, Chairman of the association, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Dogo Shammah, on Friday in Lafia.
Danjuma explained that hotels in the state had been badly affected by COVID-19 as patronage had dropped since the outbreak of the pandemic.
He said: “Our businesses were shut down since the outbreak without customers, which means complete stoppage of our income.
“The stimulus would serve as a backup to sustain the hospitality and tourism industry from total collapse and prevent job losses.”
The chairman noted that hotels in the state had contributed greatly to youth employment, adding that supporting the industry to stay afloat would curb restiveness.
Danjuma further appealed to the government to grant the hoteliers three years tax holiday to enable them recover from the adverse effects of the pandemic.
The Chairman said the association had directed her members not to retrench staff as a result of COVID-19.
Responding, Shammah thanked the association for the visit and their contribution to the economy of the state.
He said the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration was willing to work with the association toward the development of the tourism industry.
The Commissioner explained that the government was working on a bill to reposition hotels in the state for better performance.
He assured the association that their request would be forwarded to the governor for consideration.
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