ABSTRACT
Hospitality industry is one of the leading industries in any country in the world. In Nigeria,it contributes to prosperity creation and further our economic development. It however, covers hotel and travel as well as restaurant businesses. For this industry to function well, it must have adequate and regular food supply which is the ultimate goal of the industry. This study therefore investigates the impact of inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The fast changes in the area of technology in allaspects of life to a great extent have affected thefood pattern, food habit and food supply to people most importantly in themetropolitan areas. These changes also bring theimpressive growth of hospitality industries such asinternational and national tourism, restaurants, fastfoodoutlets and catering businesses. Cartwright (2003) noted that the World Tourism Organisation had recorded an increase of7.4% of tourist in the year 2000, which brings thetotal number of international arrivals up to 699million, and this increasing number of tourist bringingthe people eating more outside their homes. In the year 2002, Everett revealed that, several years back in the United States,people began to eat moremeals in restaurants. Hence, the control of their foodsafety is now moving from the housewives to thefood handlers in the food outlets and it indirectly enforced the local health departments to set a food safety standard.
Food is one of the principal factors items that have Recently, tourism industry not only has been one of the first place, every tourist as an organism is in need of the rapidly growing fields of the world economy, but also eating and drinking. This requirement holds true for all they have brought about economy development for diverse tourism destinations and situations in the world states and regions. The predictions made for the issue Moreover, food impresses other aspects such as travel indicate its noticeable growth in coming years which agencies' culinary program, the final price of hotels, would entail the increase of jobs pertaining to this culture assimilation and many other components industry. This rise requires serious attention to one of the main implicit factors that tourists consider programming in the industry in choosing the destination is foodmanagement. Disparate tourists destinations all over Recently, the investigation of food, eating and the world has proven that a proper programming of culinary condition has been considered as a vast field to reduce negative effects to improve and preserve tourism study under sociology and anthropology market in that area or state.
The rationale for this study is to map out strategies to solve the problems of inadequate food supply in tourism and hospitality industrywhich may hinder the growth of the industry and possibly hinder its contributions to the revenue of the country.Combining planning and inventory control to optimize guest satisfaction in the running of hospitality business remains one of the challenges facing the industry. Strategies directed towards confronting these challenges are numerous and varied, depending on the mode of supplyand the varieties of customer satisfactionsfrom whichfoods are produced.This study will investigate the impact of inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Most hospitality and tourism industries today faceseveral challenges in the country.The inadequate food supply is a major concern in the country and the necessary solutions are not found, this may bring about the downfall and non performance of the industry in the nearest future. Also, perishable foods affect the processing and planning in the tourism and hospitality industry. As local storage facilities are virtually absent, there is acute shortage of certain items at certain tune of the season and this is accompanied by serious price fluctuation. In addition, customers’ preference affects the satisfaction of the guests’ need. Therefore, the problems highlighted have necessitated this study of assessing the impact of inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria. Otherwise the meals planning would run into problem that will hinder the attainment of stated goals and objectives of the organization.
1.3 Research Questions
The following are some of the questions which this study intends to answer:
i) what is the prevalence of inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria?
ii) what are the reasons for inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria?
iii) what are the efforts of the government in ensuring adequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria. The specific objectives and are:
i) To establish the prevalence of inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria
ii) To identify the reasons for inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria.
iii) To investigate the efforts of the government in ensuring adequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria.
1.5 Research Hypothesis
Ho1: There is no significant impact of inadequate food supply on tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is designed to investigatethe impact of inadequate food supply on the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria. It is also intended to identify the ways government can ensure adequate food supply to improve the performance of the tourism and hospitality industry in the country.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study investigates the significance of the tourism industry on economic development of Nigeria; it will therefore be carried out in some major tourist centres in the south southern states of the country.
1.8 Limitation of the study
Apart from the time constraint, the researcher was faced with lack of capital to print as many as possible questionnaires and. Many respondents were not willing to respond to the questions as the researcher wanted.
1.9 Definitions of Terms
The following terms were used in the course of this study:
Food Supply: The production of food and its movement from point of origin to use or consumption.
Hospitality: The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.
Tourism:Istravel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours.
REFERENCES
Cartwright, R.Y. (2003). Food and waterborne infections associated with package holiday.
JournalApplied Microbiology, 94, pp. 12S-24S.
Everett, K. (2000). Standards of food safety in Hamilton country restaurants. Report of
Capstone Research, February 23, Hamilton.
