HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY ARE THE WORST HIT BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC- DG NIHOTOUR
Oru Leonard
The Director General/Chief Executive Officer, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, has said that the hospitality and tourism industry is the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic,
Kangiwa stated this on Thursday during a visit by members of the Culture, Art Tourism and Entertainment Writers Association (CATEWA), in Abuja,
He said the entire lifeline of the culture and tourism sector of Nigeria lies in the Institute, adding that culture and tourism are siamese twins and one cannot do without the other, adding also that the tourism and cultural administrators and writers cannot succeed without one another.
Nura stressed that training is important and key as it is the reason why NIHOTOUR ensures standardized professional practices of personnel in the industry, and also registers and certifies professionals in the industry.
“Without a strong training base, there can not be a sustainable tourism and cultural administration,
“We need to come together to push the industry to the desired place where we all intend to take it to”, he stated.
He recalled that NIHOTOUR came into existence in 1987, and is here to offer basic, intermediate and advanced study in hospitality, travels and tourism.
“We equip the youth with specialized skills through capacity building and training so that they can efficiently deliver services. We organise tailor-made courses to respond to emerging needs of the industry”, the DG concluded.
Speaking, the Chairperson of CATEWA, Dr Bridget Onochie assured the DG of the cooperation of members in delivering objective reportage.
In his remarks, the Director, General Studies of NIHOTOUR, Dr Taiwo Famogbiyele who commended CATEWA for the vist said that the institute is rebranding with the activities new putting in place and is ready to partner with the media.
