The constantly changing Nigerian economy takes its toll on various market sectors. For the past few years, we’ve seen a surge of unemployment and the shutdown of various companies in Nigeria due to the unfavourable business climate.
One area that is, however, on the steady growth, is the travel and tourism sector of Nigeria. This sector, as of 2017 amounted to 1.9% of the country’s GDP and has increased ever since. PWC reported a 20% rise in overall room revenue from 2018, much higher than the projected increase. Nigeria remains an attractive market for major hotel brands with strong infrastructures.
Nigeria, a sub-Saharan country is booming with adventure and tourism sites and is a breeding ground for international business seekers. It suffices to say that the hospitality business is here to stay in Nigeria.
While there is a market for the hospitality business to thrive, the housing of the industry (hotels, inns, motels, serviced apartments etc.) is often plagued with various operational issues. Customer satisfaction is critical for the survival of the hotel industry and this industry thrives on it. Customers flock in and out of your facilities based on your ratings and their experience.
Local hoteliers squabble to meet industry standards to ensure their customers are satisfied and to compete against multinational hotels swooping into the country. Part of customer satisfaction lies in controlling the perception and expectations of your clients and ensuring customer satisfaction. This is why the bulk of a hotel’s revenue is allocated to providing quality bedding and bath linens that remain durable.
Some hoteliers run the route of importation but are plagued by barriers from the instability of our importation and exportation policies. Products imported, with the strict policies in-between, most times are not even a reflection of the value in terms of quality hoteliers would get.
There is a gap hoteliers face and this is the timely supply of quality and durable bedding in Nigeria. This gap in the industry allows for the provision of that service.
Companies such as E’Sorae Luxury close the gap by catering to the hospitality business. Making a business out of this need, the CEO Mr Ewaen Sorae who started by providing quality bedding and bath linens to individuals has since set up a factory and production that cuts across the terrains of Nigeria, specifically to cater to the hospitality business and other corporations in need of its services.
“What I have found out is that hoteliers often don’t have a stable and reliable source for bedding and bath products. I saw that this was a huge need in the market and we decided to set up our production unit to fill this gap. Since then we’ve had a rapid increase in hotel clients that acknowledged that our services were necessary to the flow of their operations” says MrSorae.
The production and supply of bedding fill in the gap that exists in operations of the hospitality industry. Moreso, creating factories in Nigeria empowers the Nigerian workforce and creates jobs in the country which in turn has a huge economic impact on the country.
We are seeing a surge in the hospitality business demand for more hotel rooms and better customer experience. There is work to be done in increasing customer satisfaction and retention to meet the demands of this fast-paced industry. The competitive rise in the industry creates high demands that ultimately have to be met by hoteliers who want to remain in the business.
