Regular workshops strategic to growth of tourism – Odeyemi

Wale Odeyemi, Manager, Strategic Service Management Solutions, Ikeja on Thursday said that frequent training workshops would help sustain the growth of the nation’s tourism sector.
Odeyemi told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that workshops and seminars were strategic in updating stakeholders in the sector on hospitality and service orientation.
He said: “Regular workshops will enable stakeholders in the tourism industry to understand and appreciate the importance of services in the Nigeria economy.
“Stakeholders in the industry need to understand and keep abreast with paradigm shift in the service business orientation for effective output.”
Odeyemi said that programmes that specifically target key players in the tourism sector such as hotels, parks and gardens, among others should form the main thrust of such workshops.
He said: “It is necessary to target such key players to ensure that quality service is offered to tourists who come into the country, thereby creating a positive image.”
Odeyemi also said that he was optimistic that the tourism sector would soon be a major revenue spinner because of the keen interest of the Federal Government towards its development.
He said that it was necessary for the government to partner with private organizations in equipping the industry as an alternative means of generating income and creating a sustainable economy.
The contribution of travel and tourism was N5.124 trillion ($20.3bn) in 2016, representing 4.7 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.