She made the above assertion as one of the resource persons at a workshop which came with the theme, “Tourism/Hospitality Industry As An Alternative to Oil & Gas in Revenue Generation” on Saturday, 5th August, 2023 at Lekki, Lagos.

Sandra said apart from oil and gas industry which serves as major source of foreign exchange earnings, the tourism and hospitality sector if well harnessed can boost the economy of the nation.

According to her: “In developed countries of the world and some African countries, tourism is a big business and creates employment opportunities for many people. Aside from direct jobs at the sites, those in the hospitality business such as hotels and restaurants also make a lot of money through the influx of tourists.

“Nigeria being a monolithic economy it is our responsibility as critical stakeholders in the Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry to advise the government to show commitment and partner the private sector in building the sector.

“Government and other investors within this lucrative and revenue generating space need to work our better ways of handling tourism business in the country and of course Nigerians too need to believe in their own, instead of travelling outside the country for leisure.

“It is really mind-boggling so see that our country Nigeria is losing billions of dollars annually due to lack of focus on the sector, whereas this is a money spinner if really given desired attention.

“According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), hospitality and tourism industry is one of the largest industries in the world for socio-economic gains. It is an important component which caters for tourists in any given destination, as such it is a valuable asset of the travel and tourism industry today and that is the simple truth.

“Even a layman understands that that tourism is travel for recreation, leisure, or business purposes even as it is defined as activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the places visited. However, we must always find out ways on how to turn leisure to wealth creation and deepen human capital development or what I can still call employment opportunity” She stated.

Fielding questions from her audience at the well attended workshop, Sandra who is the Regional Manager at BON Hotels Nest Bodija, Ibadan Oyo State, noted further:

“The focus of hospitality is welfare. It is an aspect of tourism that looks out for the wellbeing of tourists. Service delivery and guest impression are the common dynamics that holds the industry together. In lieu of this, the field of tourism and hospitality is not excluded from the concept of sustainable development given the close relationship between the natural environment and tourism.

“Tourism is vast, its potentials and the values it adds to any nation that is ready to boost her economy is enormous and I appeal to the government and other key stakeholders not to rest on their oars, but to do more in giving the industry its place of pride.

“As we all know, tourism is in different categories. We have Medical, Business and Religious Tourism, etc. Let me speak more about Religious Tourism. From time immemorial, religious obligations have become a fashionable trend all over the world as a means of expressing beliefs and faith in the ability of God to protect and guide

mankind. Religious practices under the auspices of Christianity, Islam and Traditional practices have in no small way contributed to the development of tourism in the world and Nigeria isn’t an exception. People travel from one part of the country to another to attend religious programs, look at the number of people that usually attend programs organized by churches like RCCG, CAC, Winners Chapel, Deeper Life, Synagogue etc in Nigeria. This opportunity must never be taken for granted if we’re truly serious in business and profit making.

“It is a known fact that the Christian pilgrimages to Israel and the convergence of Islamic faithful twice in a year at Saudi Arabia have formed an economic platform for empowerment of the localities and contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the host countries. In Nigeria, beyond several allusions by the government to the promotion of tourism, religion has continued to play a pivotal role in the development of tourism in the country.

“Many dignitaries have in recent times found Nigeria to be the essential balm to many of their spiritual problems, with many past and present heads of government from across the world visiting Nigeria to seek solution.

Sandra who again spoke about infrastructure deficit within the Tourism and hospitality space has this to say:

“Nigeria’s lack of infrastructures is most pronounced in the rural areas where incidentally most of its tourist sites are also located. Nevertheless, efforts at developing infrastructure to support tourism in Nigeria, paltry as these may be, stakeholders will have to nip these identifiable challenges in the bud as quickly as possibly and our government across board has a major role to play, through budget financing and bridging the deficit gaps, building excellent symbiotic relationships with the host communities and creation of relevant policies and legislations.

“Rural areas are where tourism is expected to have its most impact on economic development given the infrastructure and income it can attract to rural Nigeria to spur economic growth, and development in rural areas and the regions. In this regard, tourism can facilitate the replication of infrastructure to the regions and the rural areas of Nigeria, which are usually the areas which lack the required amenities.

“While tourism presents developing countries like Nigeria with huge opportunity and scope for economic diversification, efforts should be made to manage possible adverse social and environmental impacts. Although the quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism, this cannot be taken for granted given their complex nature and peculiarities.” Sandra disclosed.

Above were the views of Sandra Ogbahor, the Regional Manager of BON Hotels Nest Bodija-Ibadan, Oyo State during an interaction with some senior Travel and Tourism reporters on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

According to her, investing in hospitality business is very lucrative and profit driven, however such an investor needs lots of patience, tolerance, discipline and as well planning out all the necessary steps to achieve success whilst also avoiding the pitfalls of the business.

She said: “To be successful in hospitality business you need to be organised. Organization will help you complete tasks and stay on top of things to be done. A good way to do this is to create a to-do list each day. As you complete each item, check it off your list. This will ensure that you’re not forgetting anything and you’re completing all the tasks that are essential to the survival of your business.

“You equally need to establish robust customer loyalty that will give you great advertising. Offer deals or specials. Group discounts, free breakfast and lower rates for several-day stays are a good way to attract customers on a budget,” Sandra Ogbahor said.

“Design a website. If your hotel isn’t on the internet, it’s basically invisible to your potential customers. You could design your own website but it may be worth the investment to have a professional work on your site. At the minimum, your site should have the hotel’s name, location, contact information and nightly rates. The person would have to spend money on advertisement; get necessary equipment and facilities. Above all, hire professionals and good hands to manage the business.

“Also, the owner of the business, as the chief executive, must be duly involved in the business. It is also important that you have industrial washing machine, have the water treatment in the hotel so that the guests would have good water, not just for drinking, even for bathing. Hygiene is very important.

“Besides, you must be able to get your products directly from the companies without having to pass through the middlemen especially when the business is at its infant stage. That would further save cost and boost your profit.

“I mean, such products like soft drinks, beer, juice, foods like semo, milk. Then you must buy your cow, chicken, goat live and slaughter them. This means you must have a pick up as well as a cold room for preservation. With those things in place, the hotel business is a good business.”

While offering further perspective on investing in Nigeria’s hotel business, Sandra Ogbahor, an alumnus of prestigious Lagos State University has this to say:

“All successful businesses keep detailed records. By keeping detailed records, you’ll know where the business stands financially and what potential challenges you could be facing. Just knowing this gives you time to create strategies to overcome those challenges.”

Sandra is also of the belief that business opportunities abound everywhere in the country, but with a caveat that it takes an astute investor to identify these opportunities and utilize them properly, particularly when the choice of investment is in hotel business and management.