24 BUSINESS DAY Friday 10 July 2020 Hotels ‘It is going to be a long, slow Top BusinessDay Partner Hotels

Four Points by Sheraton recovery for hospitality industry’ Hotel (Oniru Chiefatancy Estate,) No doubt, the hospitality industry is among the worst hit by the impact of Tel: +234 1 448 9444 coronavirus pandemic since the first quarter of this year. As countries are now relaxing travel restrictions and restarting their economies, there seems to be hope of recovery for the industry. In this interview with Obinna Emelike, Trevor Ward, managing director, W Hospitality Group, x-rays the industry’s current position, Transcorp Hilton Abuja 1 Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama, the impact, trends, recovery among other related issues. Abuja Tel: +234-708-060-3000 No doubt, Covid-19 has are suffering. dealt a deadly blow on the Despite government global hospitality industry order that hotels should with huge revenue and job open, why are many still loses. In your view, how shutdown, especially inter- The Wheatbaker much is the impact on the national brands? #4 Onitolo(Lawrence Road), African and Nigerian hospi- It is not a matter of gov- , . tality industry? ernment “ordering” hotels to Tel: 01 277 3560 he impact differs reopen! Hotels and tourism from country to are matters for the Nigerian country, but in states to regulate, and each general terms Af- has different policies al- rica and though most had shutdown Hawthorn Suites by the sector completely, along Wyndham Abuja Thave fared much worse than 1 Uke St, Garki, Abuja. the USA, but about the same with bars, restaurants, night- Tel: +234 9 4603900, +234 as Europe. STR released some clubs, event centres among 805 7522500 statistics a few weeks ago that others. In Lagos, after some said that whilst in the USA 17 confusion regarding the percent of hotels had closed, state government’s policies, and the balance were achiev- it has been confirmed that Lagos Continental Hotel ing 37 percent room occupan- hotels can open to the public Plot 52, Kofo Abayomi St, cy, in Africa 80 percent were for their overnight accom- Lagos Tel: 01 236 6666 closed and those still trading modation, and guests stay- were achieving 14 percent oc- ing in the hotel can use the cupancy – a huge difference. Trevor Ward restaurant and bar so long as The reason the data paint social distancing and other such a different story is that in regulations are adhered to. greater awareness of cleanli- and owners and managers In order to open bars, res- several African countries, in- Radisson Blu Hotel cluding Nigeria, governments ness, that’s here to stay – but are strongly advised not to taurants and other facilities #38/40 Isaac John St, Ikeja have ordered hotels to close, shame on those who weren’t seek to attract market share by to the (non-resident) public, GRA100271, Ikeja and the domestic and inter- clean already! abnormal discounting, as that hotels must obtain a cer- Tel: +234-908-780 5555 national flights have stopped Do you see recovery for is a lose-lose situation, and tificate from the operating (plus in Nigeria no the continent and Nigeria will result in more business Safety Commission first, and inter-state road travel either). soon? failures than would otherwise then await an announce- 206 Exclusive Hotel Hotels depend on travel, par- We can recommence trad- have been the case. ment from the State Gover- Plot 206 Oladipo Diya Road ticularly air travel, for their ing properly once the borders Considering growth pro- nor that they may open their Opposite Olympia Estate customers. And whilst in and skies are reopen. Whilst jections for the sector this doors. That announcement By Games Village Second the UK and other European countries like South Africa year, how has the pandemic is still awaited. Gate countries government has and Kenya can look to the impacted it, and are pipeline Do you think Nigeria can Durumi2 Abuja provided financial support domestic market for demand, projects still realisable this issue and enforce a uniform to companies who have fur- as they can drive to hotels, in year? health and safety protocol loughed staff, contributing Nigeria we rely on air travel All budgets, forecasts and for hotels and can hotels a large part of the salaries of for our domestic and inter- projections made for 2020 maintain the protocols? Novotel Port Harcourt employees who cannot work, national guests, so without are out of the window, and Yes and yes. We are on Address: 3 Stadium Road or are not needed, so that they flights, no guests. Then, there at present it is impossible to the whole a highly profes- Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt are not sacked, there are no is the fact that for many cities know what will be the situa- sional industry, and the Rivers State, such palliatives available in in Africa the demand is almost tion, both in terms of supply safety of our guests and staff Tel: 0809 713 5734 Nigeria. entirely commercial and/or (who will reopen, who will has always been a priority, How will the losses im- government, and unheard not) and demand (who will it’s not as if this is something pact business going for- of reductions in GDP, and travel, what will consumer out of the blue for us. It’s ward? therefore corporate and state behaviour be like). As I said just that the new reality has It is going to be a long, incomes, means there will before, we’ve no experience brought new requirements, slow recovery, it could take be a reduction in demand of this “total reset”. As for which will take some getting Radisson Lagos Ikeja as much as 4 to 6 years (but in from those sources. “Soon”? the pipeline, many planned used to, but in a short time #42-44 Isaac John Street, reality we don’t know, we’ve No, I don’t believe it will be openings are going to be we will do just that, and the GRA Ikeja, Lagos never been in this situation soon, but then the resilience delayed to year or be- social distancing and other before) to get back to 2019 of Africa and the Africans is yond, for a variety of reasons: requirements will become levels of business. There will legendary, and a return to there’s no point opening second nature. be really tough times for the growth is not so far away. into such a poor market (low When hotels fully open, Southern Sun IkoyI Hotel staff no longer required, and What measures should demand); funding may not what do you think would-be Address: 47 Alfred Rewane for their families. the sector adopt to survive, be available to complete the guests will be looking for? Road, Ikoyi, Lagos What are the new trends especially now that govern- hotel; technicians and others Hotel owners and man- Tel: +234 1 280 5200 / +234 1 or new normal to expect in ment palliatives are not get- cannot travel to commission agers will need to give their 280 0630 the industry going forward? ting to them? plant and equipment; a re- guests and potential guests Email: ssikoyi.reservations@ I don’t see that, there will The same as every busi- duction in capacity for cargo the reassurance that all mea- tsogosun.com be much of a long-term im- ness, look inwards to how shipping (and airfreight) can sures have been taken to pact on the way the hotel we operate, and whether delay materials and other ensure that they will not be industry operates. In my we can reengineer the pro- needed items; and so on. infected by COVID-19 whilst opinion, social distancing will cesses to cut costs, and look Are there brands that on their premises. People are “fade away”, particularly when outwards to our customers, are holding on despite the going to be very nervous at a vaccine or other “cure” is maintain contact, inform impact of the pandemic and first, after so many weeks of them about the steps being which brand is worst hit? available for the COVID-19 lockdown, social distancing Radisson Blu Anchorage virus (but note that it will be taken to ensure their safety The pandemic shows no and so on, that the thought Hotel a long time before a vaccine when they return. When favouritism, so everyone is hit of being in close proximity 1A,Ozumba Mbadiwe,Victoria can actually be delivered to hotels do reopen it is going equally, whatever the brand, to others will naturally bring Island. everybody). There will be a to be extremely competitive, and those with no brand, all anxiety.

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