FTAN seeks N150B intervention fund for hospitality, tourism industry

To avert massive job loss in the hospitality and tourism industry, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has appealed to the Federal Government for N150Billion intervention fund for its members. The appeal was made yesterday, through the leadership of the body led by its President, Alhaji Rabo Saleh Kareem.  

Speaking on what they tagged, ‘The impact of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s travels, hospitality and tourism industry and the need for government intervention,’ the federation noted that since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, hotels and sundry tourism businesses in Nigeria have lost hundreds of millions of Naira from services cancellations and disrupted sales including revenues from destination handlings, packaged tours, room bookings, event venues, food and beverage, rented space, entertainment and other ancillary hospitality services.  

“The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) hereby appeals to the Federal Government of Nigeria to, as a matter of national emergency, provide palliatives to FTAN members’ businesses, and to also include the Tourism and Hospitality sectors in the proposed post-Covid-19 intervention funds.   

“Specifically, we call on the federal government, through the Economic Sustainability Committee and the Central Bank of Nigeria, to provide N150 billion Intervention fund for FTAN members in the Hospitality and Tourism industry.  

“We recommend that the solicited N150 billion intervention fund and other government palliatives for Nigeria’s tourism industry should be provided in multifaceted monetary and fiscal measures’, the body stated.   The body also faulted government on the composition of Post-COVID intervention committee for the creative industry.  

While accepting to remain part of the government committee to provide them opportunity to air their views, the body is seeking a separate committee for hospitality and tourism.   

Other relief packages sought by the Federation include one-year import duty waiver on importation of items frequently used in their businesses, tax reliefs: to businesses and operators in the tourism and hospitality sector in the first three quarters of year, financial grants: to support some struggling micro and small scale tourism and hospitality businesses as well as huge investment in tourism services value-chain.