Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Arts)
Cross River State government is set to take tourism promotion a notch higher as it plans to host the maiden edition of a sport tourism cycling project dubbed Akwacross on Saturday, March 14.
Akwacross Cycling project, which is specially dedicated to enhancing the historical and cultural relationship between the people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, who share similar narratives on culture, dances, language, fashion and gastronomy. It is an innovation critical to generating domestic visitations and reconnection
Cross Rivers State Commissioner for Tourism, Mr. Eric Anderson disclosed that all tour sites in the state will receive face lift to make them attractive to investors and tourists. “We are carefully addressing issues that help us create a true tourism environment that will place the state as most visited in Africa and at same time developed verifiable tourism economy capable of providing jobs and help protecting our prime fauna and flora ecosystem,” he said,
Anderson noted that marine tourism will not be left out on the Cross River tourism agenda as plans to give the iconic Marina Resort a big boost to increase the unusual visitor’s traffic to the city center located recreation site.
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“We are sure Cross River State can make a big statement apart from our carnival Calabar project. Our desire is to be seen as the best destination in Nigeria nay Africa. We are determined to prove a point and we are encouraged by the governor to make this state the most preferred among local and international visitors.” Eric Anderson told some select tourism journalists at the weekend.
That’s not all about the restructuring of tourism agenda of the state blessed with aquatic and natural resources. The state is also planning to organise the biggest training programme for the hospitality operators and investors on March 19th. Already, Obudu Resort on the northern fringe of the state is back on the tour circuit. This iconic resort with surreal landscape and cable car remains the state’s best highly sought after tourist delight and activator of structured visits.
The game plan is to keep the state continuously in focus with strategic and sustainable tourism activities, building up an entirely dependent economy on tourism culture, environment and other down-stream influencers of the business.
.It is also meant to drive excellence in sports and physical wellbeing of the people, not excluding visitors as a well to contribute to the progress and advancement of humanity.
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