The Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) has pledged to strengthen its partnership with the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOURS) as part of efforts to bridge the gap between professional training and industry practice in Nigeria’s tourism sector.

Speaking yesterday at the NIHOTOURS Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja, NATOP President, Bolaji Mustapha, described the institute as a very important institution that had continued to play a leading role in the training, development and regulation of hospitality and tourism professionals in the country.

According to her, the quality of manpower was the backbone of a thriving tourism industry, stressing that closer collaboration between operators and training institutions was essential to unlocking the sector’s full potential.
She said: “As stakeholders in the same industry, NATOP recognizes that the strength of tourism operations is only as good as the quality of manpower that drives it.

“It is for this reason that we hold NIHOTOURS’ work in high esteem and consider this gathering not merely ceremonial, but a strategic opportunity to deepen collaboration between our associations.”

Mustapha noted that Nigeria’s tourism industry was at a critical stage, driven by growing interest in domestic tourism, renewed attention to the country’s rich cultural heritage and the Federal Government’s efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil.

She explained that these developments had made collaboration between tour operators and institutions such as NIHOTOURS more important than ever.

The NATOP President congratulated NIHOTOURS for convening the stakeholders’ meeting and reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting the institute in advancing professionalism and capacity building across the tourism and hospitality value chain.

She added that both organisations shared a common vision of repositioning Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations through improved human capital development, stronger industry collaboration and higher professional standards.

“We are united in the collective task of repositioning Nigeria as a preferred tourism destination in Africa and beyond,” Mustapha said.