…As hotels count gains after Carnival Calabar
The Cross River State government has assured on a number pipeline hotel projects across the state that would boost room and facility offerings, as well as address the growing demand for quality accommodation in the state.
Prince Bassey Otu, governor of Cross River State, gave the assurance during a chat with the travel media in his residence in Calabar.
Speaking during the chat, which was on the sideline of the 2024 Carnival Calabar, Governor Otu, noted that the state is improving tourism and hospitality infrastructure to boost tourist traffic and also ensure value for money offerings for the visitors.
“We have hotels that are almost completed. When completed, they will compete with any international one anywhere in the world.
“Before you come next time, you are coming to see a completely different environment in terms of hospitality offerings,” Governor Otu reassured.
Speaking further, he explained that the projects are part of his administration’s commitment to positively impact the hospitality industry with more quality hotels, additional rooms, more comfort and value for money offerings for visitors during the carnival season and across the year.
Apart from Calabar, the governor said that the improvement in hospitality infrastructure extends to the Obudu Mountain Resort, with an ongoing facility upgrade and restoration that has attracted the likes of Marriott International, foremost global hospitality chain.
The governor assured on full restoration of the Obudu Mountain Resort soon and broadening of the tourism circuit for more experiences for the visitors, more jobs for the people and more impact on the state’s economy.
However, to ensure easy access to the state by visitors, Governor Otu said that his administration has made sustainable commitments in aviation with more scheduled flights to Calabar through Cally Air, while improving on access roads to the state.
According to him, there is now seamless connection to Calabar, through the Margaret Ekpo International Airport as Cally Air boosts route with four aircraft, with one taking off this January and others within the year.
Again, the target at increasing and sustaining tourist traffic to the state is holistic as the governor also assured that the Obudu Airport would be ready soon and connectivity across the state’s tourism circuit would be enhanced, leaving visitors with more leisure and adventure options to enjoy across the state.
Meanwhile, hoteliers in Calabar are smiling to the bank as they recorded full occupancies across the holiday season, especially the power week of Carnival Calabar 2024.
From the small to the big hotels, there were hardly rooms for visitors who thronged the city for the 2024 edition of the annual carnival.
“We have been having full occupancy since December and the small hotels we usually refer some guests to were equally full.
We wish this will continue all the year round,” Uduak Effiong, a staff of Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, confessed.
Edem Ayuk, a hotel owner, expressed the same sentiment, saying that December is the best time for hotel business in Calabar as rooms are hardly available even in hotels without names.
“We are excited at the good business the carnival always bring to us and that is why we are supporting it in our little ways.
“We always look forward to December to break-even and we always do because as long as there is carnival, there will be visitors to fill our rooms,” Ayuk said.
Gab Onah, chairman, Carnival Calabar Commission, thinks that the full occupancies are top among the reasons investors should bet on the hotel market as the state is making sustainable efforts to increase tourist traffic to the state to ensure all-year-round patronage.
Obinna Emelike, Business Day NG
