Hotel and Tourism industry in for strict regulation

The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday, assented to a law that will regulate Hotel and Tourism establishments in the state. The amendment to the Hotel Licensing Law 2003, promises to ensure strict compliance with global best practices in tourism industry and this implies tough times for the operators who have benefitted from the laxity of the government previously.

Tokunbo Afikuyomi, the state?s commissioner for tourism and intergovernmental relations. had complained about the loose regulatory framework guiding the tourism industry.

?During the FIFA U17 World Cup, we lost so much money. We could not connect to FIFA?s website because our hotels are not classified,? he said.

He also complained that tourism establishments like brothels, event centres, and relaxation centres are springing up across the state without any licence.

Mr. Afikuyomi was, therefore, delighted that the bill, which was recently and hastily passed by the state assembly, has now been signed into law.

Tough time for hoteliers

?No person is allowed to operate a hotel or any tourism establishment in Lagos State without first obtaining a licence from the tourism authority,? emphasised Abdul-lateef Abdul-Akeem, the special adviser to the governor on political and legislative bureau, while introducing the bill.

Mr. Abdul-Akeem said the penalties prescribed in the principal law allowed for ?a high degree of disobedience in the (tourism) industry because the five penalties for the offences range from N100 to N200.?

The amended law stipulated penalties ranging from N100,000 to N500,000 with up to two years imprisonment. Mr. Fashola said the law is an economic policy that will open up the tourism industry in Lagos.

?Brazil is making money from the Atlantic, but we are not because laws like this exist there. We complain about unemployment, but we have not even opened up the economy of this state,? he said.

?It is already clear that the future holds more than oil for our country, because even the oil giants are investing their oil proceeds to develop other sectors of the economy and tourism is key,? he said.

He said Lagos is one of the states that has the capacity to diversify into tourism and ?that is why a lot of taxpayers? money is invested in providing an environment that can support the sector.? He added, ?This is what has informed the massive roads projects like the Lagos-Badagary and Lekki-Epe expressways, which are strategic investments to boost tourism in the state.?

Mr. Afikuyomi said the amended law focuses on regulating the health and safety aspect of the sector which has been ?highly undermined.? According to him, some existing tourism establishments may have to relocate as the law regulates the appropriate location of such establishments.

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