By JOAN ODAFE

Olugbenga Sunday, Convener of the Hotel Managers Conference Africa (HMCA), says hospitality professionals from 13 African countries will converge in Lagos to chart a new course for service excellence, workforce development and stronger policy support.

Sunday said this during a meeting with members of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) on Tuesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting is part of ANJET’s engagement with stakeholders in Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sector to foster dialogue on industry challenges and promote initiatives supporting tourism development nationwide.

Sunday, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Tojum Hospitality, said the professionals, including other stakeholders, would gather during the eighth edition of HMCA, scheduled for July 11 and July 12 in Lagos.

He said the conference aims to accelerate growth in Africa’s hospitality industry.

The convener said since its inauguration at Akwa Ibom in 2016, the event had evolved from a local initiative into one of Africa’s leading hospitality conferences.

He said the conference would convene stakeholders including hotel owners, managers, consultants, policymakers and technology providers to strengthen Africa’s hospitality ecosystem under the theme, ‘Raising the Bar: Sales, Service and Standards for a Competitive Africa’.

According to him, the conference was also conceived to bridge the gap between indigenous hotel brands and international chains by exposing operators to global best practices and fostering collaboration across the industry.

“We saw the gap between the local brands and these branded hotels, which are international brands.

“We saw that gap over the years because the same people working in these local brands, they are the same set of people working in these international brands but they are not behaving the same way,” he said.

Sunday said the conference had expanded steadily over the years, attracting participants from all six geo-political zones of Nigeria, with one edition recording delegates from 27 states, while attendance from across Africa had continued to increase.

“For now, we have confirmed 13,” he said.

He noted that Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon, Rwanda, Botswana and Kenya were among countries expected at this year’s conference.

He noted that the initiative had begun to change the face of Nigeria’s hospitality industry, with many indigenous hotels adopting improved operational standards and delivering services comparable to international brands.

“I will tell you this, that over the years, the conference has drawn all the leading expatriates and by and large, we’re actually bridging that gap.

“You see, over the years, you now see a local brand offering a four to five-star service,” he said.

The HMCA convener said the conference had also encouraged hotel managers to embrace continuous learning, strengthen operational procedures, improve staff grooming and build professional networks that extended beyond their immediate locatiosai

He added that digital innovation had become central to hotel operations, making payment systems, reservations, check-in processes and overall guest experiences more efficient.

“So, we are embracing anything digital, because first, it makes us smart, and two, it makes our operation very easy,” he said.

Sunday, however, said the sector still faces multiple taxation, weak policy enforcement, poor infrastructure, flooding, high energy costs and insecurity.

He added that poor electricity supply and recurrent flooding, particularly in Lagos, were eroding hotel revenues, while security challenges in parts of the country continued to undermine investment and business confidence.

He urged the government to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Speaking on human capital development as the foundation of quality hospitality, Sunday said the conference would continue to prioritise training and continuous professional development.

“We focus more on capacity building because we feel like that is an opportunity for some of these managers to be exposed and cross-breed knowledge within peers,” he said.

He attributed the growth of the conference to industry support from sponsors, including Opay, Huawei, EbonyLife,

Lagos Continental Hotel, Radisson Blu, Marriott Hotel and Eko Hotels and Suites.

NAN reports that some of the features of the conference will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, masterclasses, mentorship sessions and business networking.

Others are exhibitions showcasing hospitality technologies, innovative operational solutions and the graduation of 90 students from the Hotel Managers School. (NAN)