Application of Geographic Information System for Hotels Registration in Bauchi Metropolis, Bauchi State

Abstract

Hotels are high foreign exchange earners. Growth in local and especially international patronage of hotels facilities are directly tied to their ratings or classifications and international. A visibility. In Bauchi State, the NTDC is responsible for rating and classifying hotels facilities based on set out criteria. While Countries like South Africa, Kenya, Tunisia and Morocco have well-functioning and market-based hotel rating systems, Nigeria currently do not have a uniform rating and classification system. Comparison between the list of hotels facilities available within Bauchi metropolis and the physical hotels facilities within the metropolis shows that many hotels’ facilities have not been captured in the NTDC’s database of hotels facilities. Use of digital technologies such as the Geographic Information System (GIS) applications and exploitation are being used to solve this kind of problem. It is assumed that non deployment of the GIS technology may be responsible for the inability of the NTDC to carry out its statutory responsibility of rating and classification of hotels facilities within Bauchi metropolis. The implication of this scenario includes lack of proper classification and grading of hotels facilities in the State, poor statistics of established Hotels in the state which leads to revenue loss and lack of a platform or portal that is used by the NTDC to collate, asses as well as evaluate data and information on hotels and similar establishments. The objectives of this research included Identifying and undertaking locations census of hotels facilities through the use of GIS within Bauchi metropolis, Compiling, collating and grouping of hotels according to facility information for possible rating and classification based on NTDC Classification standard in Bauchi State. The results of this research include creation of an electronic template that guides and stipulates conditions for classification of Hotels in the state as well as facilities and equipment’s needed, creation of portal that acts as a data base for the regulators of the industry to monitor and asses performance of the sector in the state under review as well as creation of a one stop data bank for accessing information on grading system and classification procedures of hotels and similar enterprises provided for both domestic and international tourists.

Keywords: Geographic Information System, Hotels Facilities, Registration, Bauchi Metropolis

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