Stakeholders in
the Nigerian hospitality and tourism industry convened at the Hotel Expo
Nigeria 2022, with Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce
company, Interswitch, as one of its sponsors, to discuss the way forward for
the sector that faced unprecedented challenges occasioned by the COVID-19
pandemic.
The event that
held from recently at the Landmark Centre, drew players from the various
corners of the sector, including manufacturers, hoteliers, tourism and booking
agents, and top executives, among others, to give insights into the hospitality
business.
With the
disruption caused by the pandemic in hindsight, the two-day event focused on
conversations around developing innovative solutions that will boost recovery
and growth of business operations. The expo also served as a common ground
where ideas were shared and a community formed.
As a leader in
Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem, Interswitch is poised to provide
bespoke robust business solutions to players in the hospitality industry to
support their business growth aspirations.
Representatives
of Interswitch who spoke at the event as members of the panelists were the
Group Head, Engineering, Interswitch, Abdul-Hafiz Ibrahim and Business Manager,
Interswitch, Olatunji Lasisi, delivering insights into the role technology can
play in boosting the hospitality business. Also on the panel at the event was
the Head of DSTV Business, Abayomi Famakinwa.
During the panel
session, Ibrahim noted that as the hospitality business emerges from the
economic downturn occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to
leverage efficient technological solutions that aligned with the changing
market trends. He also added that it was important for businesses to take note
of the dynamic consumer needs, as this will help them stay ahead of the
competition.
He said,
“The hospitality sector has undergone unprecedented challenges in recent
times; and there is a need to have conversations around business solutions that
will revitalize the sector and improve efficiency. The Hotel Expo Nigeria 2022
is a relevant platform in this regard as it brings together critical
stakeholders to drive the conversation.
“As a
cross-sector player, Interswitch’s cutting-edge products such as the
Quickteller Business Smart PoS and the Payment Gateway help organisations drive
efficiency and boost service delivery.”
Lasisi, on his
part identified the Quickteller Business Smart PoS and Payment Gateway as
innovations from Interswitch that have helped businesses make quick recoveries
from the harsh economic realities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lasisi said that
the Quickteller Business Smart PoS, by design, was developed to aid businesses
in accepting and processing payments from all major local and international
cards, availing customers with multiple payment options such as transfers that
provide immediate payment confirmation right on the PoS terminals to USSD, QR
and Verve Paycode, pre-authorization, completion and refund features, providing
real-time business performance reporting, among other features. At the same
time, the Payment Gateway service will enable businesses to Accept payments
easily on their websites from international and local customers alongside other
multiple payment options. Integration of the Payment Gateway is 100 percent
free and easy.
