The Association of Travel and Tourism Writers of Nigeria (ATTWON) has marked its 8th anniversary in grand style.
The event, held at Valleyview Hotel, Ikeja, brought together journalists from various media organisations, stakeholders in the hospitality industry, and tourism enthusiasts.
The highlight of the end-of-year party and anniversary celebration was a thought-provoking and inspiring interactive session with the guest speaker, Mr. Olufemi Falebita, the founder of Nether Mentor.
In his speech, Mr Falebita emphasised the importance of adherence to industry regulations, saying, “It’s about playing the game according to the rules.
“You have to know the rules and abide by them. Over the last 30 years, I’ve noticed that many players in the industry don’t follow these rules,” he said.
Mr Falebita revealed plans for extensive training and seminars in 2025 aimed at upskilling professionals in the hospitality sector, including tour guides, hotel staff, and other key players.
He introduced the concept of ‘African Fusion’ – a blend of tourism, hospitality, and art – as a driving force for growth in the industry.
On the structure of tourism governance, the guest speaker called for a stand-alone Ministry of Tourism in Nigeria, emphasising the sector’s potential to generate massive revenue.
“I want to add my voice to those who are still clamouring for tourism ministry, it should be properly set up. We need to benchmark countries that have succeeded in tourism, you can’t have Tourism as a department.
“The amount of global income from tourism is massive because we are social people we are moving around. Both domestic and international.
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“Tourism is more than people dancing and others running after them. You need to plan destinations and find out the tourist attractions that are in them. Developing those attractions: building good road networks, and making those destinations accessible.
“I think we are sleeping on a gold mine. We are a training organisation, and we will support anything that will help the development of tourism in Nigeria and anything that will help in delivering world-class tourism in Nigeria,” he added.
Reflecting on the tourism industry’s performance in 2024, Mr Falebita noted a significant rebound following the COVID-19 pandemic. He observed a surge in new hotels across Nigeria but highlighted the persistent challenge of quality human resources.
“In Nigeria, interestingly, we saw a huge rise in new entrances in the hotel sector. New hotels were springing up everywhere. Not just in Lagos, but all over Nigeria.
“However, the human resource is where we have a problem. What many hoteliers do, is they just grab anybody to work for them. They go for cheap labour.”
Earlier, Mr Omololu Olumuyiwa, the President of ATTWON and Managing Editor of Travelscope Magazine expressed optimism for the future of tourism in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is truly blessed with what it takes to attract more tourists than most African countries. However, progress is often hindered by inconsistent policies and inadequate promotion.
In 2025, ATTWON will focus on projecting and promoting key tourist destinations in collaboration with relevant authorities. ATTWON is not limited to Lagos, so we make our presence felt across the Federation,” he stated.
The high point of the celebration was the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award to Chief Samuel Alabi, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of Eko Hotels.
The award, presented at his office in Eko Hotel, Ikoyi, was in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism industry.
Chief Alabi, a former President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of FTAN (Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria) expressed surprise and gratitude for the recognition.
