AN AIRLINE SEAT IS NOT TOURISM! HOTEL BOSS TELLS PRIVATE SECTOR TO STOP THINKING SMALL
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–GOVERNMENT cannot build tourism alone — private sector must invest in destinations, says Karl Hala, Group General Manager, Continental Hotels Group.
Speaking at AeroWest Summit 2026, Hala warned that tourism fails when stakeholders only think about their own asset.
“An airline seat is not tourism. An airport is not tourism. A hotel room is not tourism. Tourism happens when we connect the entire ecosystem,” he said.
Hala argued that sustainable growth requires investment beyond property lines — into skills, culture, public spaces, and experiences that give travelers a reason to come and return.
“The opportunity is not simply to build more hotel rooms for existing demand. It is to create experiences that generate entirely new demand,” he stated.
He listed areas requiring urgent private sector attention: museums, theatres, waterfronts, festivals, restaurants, tour operators, and bookable cultural products.
“Government cannot do this alone — and neither should it. The private sector must invest in the destination,” Hala said.
He pointed to ongoing efforts by Continental Hotels Group at Lagos Continental Hotel and Abuja Continental Hotel as an example of hotels evolving beyond accommodation.
“We are strengthening culinary, wellness and MICE offerings in Lagos, and building a broader proposition around conventions, sports, dining and entertainment in Abuja. Hotels today must be part of the destination experience, not just places to sleep,” he said.
He warned that without destination-level investment, Nigeria risks having infrastructure without demand.
“Finance the reasons for those routes to exist: people, skills, destinations, experiences, convention infrastructure, culture and marketing. That is how we change the conversation from ‘bring another flight’ to ‘here is the demand that will fill your aircraft.’”
Hala said the model for the future is collaboration between aviation, hospitality, government and the creative economy.
“When we think as one tourism economy, we stop competing for slices and start growing the pie. That is how Nigeria becomes a destination, not just a stopover.”
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