The University of Calabar is poised to become a hub for tourism development, and a renowned professor is advocating for hospitality studies to be integrated into the educational curriculum.
Professor Bassey Benjamin Esu, Vice Chairman of the BRACED Tourism Promotion & Development Initiative (BTPDI), emphasized the importance of hospitality education in schools, starting from the senior secondary level. He believes this will equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the hospitality industry.
The professor’s call to action came during the 136th inaugural lecture of the University of Calabar, where he presented a paper on “Hospitality-Centric Philosophy: The Spirit and Soul of Destination Product and the Piggyback of Development.”
As the University of Calabar prepares to launch its tourism initiatives, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi, expressed her commitment to developing the institution’s tourism potential, saying, “We are ready to light up UNICAL with tourist attractions.”
He said, “this will help shape the minds of young people and prepare them for careers in the hospitality industry”. The Don also called for the establishment of a Department of Hospitality Orientation in the Federal and State Ministries of Culture.
Esu, a Professor of Hospitality, Travel, Tourism Marketing, and Development, also stressed the need for destination managers to invest in high-quality hospitality and standardized service delivery to enhance visitors’ experiences, a precursor to sustainable destination development.
He posited that, “hospitality is not just a custom but a social currency more valuable than reputation hence the need for hospitality-centric destinations to develop Standard Operating Procedures to ensure that service delivery meets international best practices”.
To maximize the benefits that destinations derive from strategic hospitality orientations, Prof. Esu advocated for organizations in the hospitality service ecosystem to build ‘philoxenic’ organizations by implementing hospitality-centric programmes.
He emphasized the need for managers to ensure that “all non-human customer contact points, such as roads, parking spaces, restrooms, hostels, and banks, convey a sense of hospitableness”.
On her part, the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi described the inaugural lecture as a platform where academics gather to interact and brainstorm on critical issues affecting national development.
She thanked the inaugural lecturer, Professor Esu, for delivering an “apt lecture”, saying “we are ready to light up UNICAL with tourist attractions.”
With its rich cultural heritage and natural attractions, the University of Calabar is well-positioned to become a leading tourism destination. By integrating hospitality education into its curriculum, the institution can provide students with the skills and expertise needed to succeed in the industry.
