The Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi (R), presenting a memento to the inaugural lecturer, Prof. Bassey B. Esu at the lecture.
By Anietie Akpan
As the University of Calabar braces up to embrace tourism, a University don has called for the introduction of Hospitality Studies in Schools.
These postulations were made at the 136th inaugural lecture of the University of Calabar(UNICAL), as Prof. Bassey B. Esu advocated for the introduction of Hospitality Studies at the senior secondary level as a basic course and as a general course in tertiary institutions.
While the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi, said, “we are ready to light up UNICAL with tourist attractions”.
This was contained in a press release from the Public Relations Unlt of the University.
Delivering his inaugural lecture at the UNICAL International Conference Centre on Wednesday , March 26 on the topic, “Hospitality-Centric Philosophy: The Spirit and Soul of Destination Product and the Piggyback of Development”, Prof. Esu emphasized that this discipline in schools is crucial in inculcating humanity and should be taught from an early age.
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 for delivering an “apt lecture” and said, “we are ready to light up UNICAL with tourist attractions.”
