The Nation Newspaper

Category: Travels on Saturday

  • Tourism landscape in 2016

    Tourism landscape in 2016

    NIGERIA has always been seen as a land with huge tourism potential both in the area of eco-tourism and cultural tourism. While some see the huge eco-tourism assets as the way forward, many believe the country’s diverse and rich culture is an area that the country has huge potential and as such should be developed.

    However, 2016, especially at the beginning, saw little or no activities. The country missed many of the international fora through which it had in the past showcased its tourism assets to the international community.

    In many events, such as FITUR in Spain (January), ITB-Berlin (March) and many others, Nigeria was conspicuously missing. It was as if the tourism industry was on a downward spiral. The industry in the first quarter of the year was comatose until the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, decided to call a stakeholders’ summit in Abuja.

    National Summit on Tourism and Culture

    Mohammed said the summit was designed to explore all the various opportunities in tourism sector to improve the economy. He said the change mantra of the Federal Government could only be sustained, if culture and tourism provided needed drives.

    He said: “We want to turn adversity into sustainable fortune by tapping our national cultural heritage and tourism.”

    Mohammed said the challenge before the country was to work out long-term strategies to develop the country’s culture and tourism sectors and move them into the mainstream of the economy, “while not failing to design ways and means of plucking some low-hanging ‘fruits’ along the way.”

    The President, represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah, promised to encourage public and private sector participation and partnership in all the desired areas of transportation, beach and resort development and other tourism sub-sectors as a deliberate effort to develop tourism as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification of the economy.

    “Tourism, therefore, is a resource of development and means of providing an additional opportunity for a non-industrialised country like ours, to diversify its economic base for the betterment of all,” he said.

    Akwaaba 2016: Problem with aviation in West Africa

    11th edition of the Akwaaba Travel Fair was held in Lagos. The fair,which has become the prime tourism event for West Africa, had more than 15 countries in attendance. The high point was the discussion segment that discussed issues affecting the travel and tourism industry in Nigeria and West Africa at large. Aviation experts, which included Mr. Yomi Jones, Mr. Femi Adefowope, Mr. Dapo Olumide, Mr. Richard Aisuebeogun, former  Managing Director, Virgin Nigeria, identified the problems affecting the growth of the aviation industry in Nigeria and Africa and why airlines failed.

    Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Ropeways Transport and former Managing Director of Virgin Nigeria Airlines, Captain Dapo, said lack of good corporate governance and ethics was the major reason why African airlines failed in Nigeria and Africa.

    Olumide observed  that the ownership structure of the airlines was another factor. He said “the owner appoints family members as directors instead of independent directors who are experienced in aviation business”.

    He stressed the need for airline operators to have the right aircraft in their operation.

    According to him, it does not make economic sense in deploying big aircraft instead of a small one on a route with less passenger traffic.

    He observed that the business plans must be right, adding that in most cases the airlines business plans are always wrong.

    Olumide identified the problem of maintenance where there are no maintenance facilities in the country to carry out major repairs and overhaul on aircraft as another problem facing the industry in the country..

    Hotel standardisation by SON

    A major feat towards the regulation and standardisation of hospitality business in Nigeria was achieved by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria as its National Mirror Committee (NMC) on Tourism and related activities has successfully completed work on the first ever national framework on standards of Nigerian hotels which is expected to form the baseline for the grading and classification of hotels in the country once approved.

    The National Mirror Committee was inaugurated by SON in April this year in Lagos with the mandate to review and adopt the International Standard Organisation (ISO/T228) and Africa Organisation for Standardisation set up by ECOWAS in accordance with international best practices for use in the tourism industry.

    Three other documents, which are meant for use in the Nigerian tourism industry, were also presented and adopted by the committee making it four documents that were deliberated on and adopted.

    Speaking on this development, Mrs. Chika Balogun, the head of the committee, said it had great import for tourism, as it would further boost the image of the country, inspire confidence in investors, encourage more investment and create jobs and wealth for the country.

    “This would attract the Direct Foreign Investment (FDI), local and regional investments, to the country and the tourism industry because it would not put their money where they are not sure, but with such an important document as standards for hotels, it would boost the confidence of investors to now trust the industry and invest in it because it has now become more reliable and respected as there are now standards of operation to guide operators and investors,” Balogun said.

    Removal of NTDC Director General

    The end of November saw the disengagement of the former Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Director General, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo. In the letter signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal, her two-year tenure was said to have elapsed. She was instructed to hand over to the most senior civil servant in her parastatal.

  • Stakeholders clamour for professional to head NTDC

    TOURISM stakeholders are agitating for the appointment of a professional to mount the saddle of leadership at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

    This followed the removal of the former Director General of the national tourism agency, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo.

    According to them, the need to appoint a core professional has become necessary in the light of the critical role the tourism is expected to play in the Nigerian economy in the light of dwindling oil revenue.

    “Tourism is a serious business all over the world. It is specialized. Anybody without deep industry knowledge cannot succeed. That is why we have had failures. If the government is serious, it sees tourism as a viable sector capable of creating revenue,”said a stakeholder.

    Among those being touted as a possible fit for the headship of the government parastatal are : Mr. Ikechi Uko, Mr. Nkereuwen Onung, Mr. Ini Akpabio, Mrs. Stella Obinwa, Mr.Gabe Onah, Chief Samuel Alabi, Mrs. Uloma Egbuna, Mrs. Victoria Soluade, Jemi Alade, Otunba Ayo Olumoko and Mr. Kabir Malan.

    Uko comes with wide experience and insightful knowledge of the sector. He was a member of a Vision 2020 sub-committee.He has been publishing the African Travel Quarterly (ATQ) and organizes the only travel fair in West Africa, the annual Akwaaba African Travel Market that holds annually in Lagos.

    According to an industry source, he has cut a niche both in the tourism and aviation sectors as an informed and very knowledgeable expert.

    “This is what we need in the sector, as this knowledge would help grow the whole gamut of travel and tourism in Nigeria. You know tourism cannot  function without aviation in Nigeria,” the source said.

    Mr.  Onah, Chairman, Carnival Calabar Commission, is a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Calabar.

    In 2001, the then Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke appointed Onah as a government spokesman and his Special Assistant on information.

    In 2003, he was deployed to the Department of Culture and Tourism and in 2006 he was appointed the Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, a position he held until the end of Mr. Duke’s tenure, as Governor of Cross River State. He had since superintended the rise of the Carnival Calabar to global heights.

    Onung, President, Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Managing Director, and owner, Remlords Tours and Car Hire Services.

    Alade is the foremost inbound tour operator and founding member of NATOP . His tour company is regarded as the leading inbound tour operators in Nigeria. He is among the few tour operators that privately initiate overseas marketing trips to sell Nigerian tourism products, most especially festivals to foreign tourists.

    Chief Alabi, the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), is the Legal Adviser of Eko Hotel and Suites. He was also the former President of FTAN.

    Otunba Olumoko is the First National Deputy President of FTAN. He is the Marketing Consultant for the Osun Osogbo festival since 2002.

    Obinwa, the Director of Marketing for Africa, Dubai Tourism, has been part of the Nigerian travel industry during her stint with Nigeria’s foremost online booking company, Wakanow.com, She has superintended increase in the market share of Dubai as a tourism destination in the African market.

  • Motherland Beckons partners MUSIAD for Africa’s development

    Motherland Beckons has stepped up its quest for the development of Africa through its various engagements, as it has signed a pact with MUSIAD in Koinya, Turkey, which is targeted at poverty eradication and ushering prosperity to the continent through the promotion of tourism and other businesses.

    MUSIAD Group is a conglomerate of 11,000 businesses and consists of 50,000 members, with presence in 175 countries across the world. It is arguably the biggest business group in the world with considerable presence in 175 countries while Motherland Beckons is a creation of Otunba Wanle Akinboboye dedicated to opening Africa to the world and attracting Africans in Diaspora to motherland.

    Turkey, with its sights on Africa as the next destination to impact positively through contribution to its growth and development, has found Motherland Beckons a worthy alley, which offers it a template to connect the whole of Africa under one umbrella.

    It is an obvious fact that poverty is prevalent in Africa with majority of its citizens living on less than two $2 a day, and Motherland Beckons has over the years contributed to the well-being of Africans in no small way by offering a veritable platform to the Africans in the Diaspora and lovers of Africa to visit, invest and possibly come back to settle down in Africa.

    Otunba Akinboboye decried this poverty level as he said that: ”The second largest continent that is richly blessed more than any other one should not be the poorest,” hence Motherland Beckons has stepped in to explore the opportunities that the continent offers for wealth creation. ”The various activities and activations of Motherland Beckons over the years have no doubt attracted attention and global applause, resulting in many bilateral agreements and Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) in tourism, entertainment, culture and business.

    According to the joint MoU signed by MUSIAD and Motherland Beckons, a partnership known as Africa Turkey Trade Centre (ATTC) with headquarters in Koinya, Turkey and corresponding offices in Lagos and Accra, has been formed for the purpose of achieving the goals of the new partnership deal. Otunba Akinboboye revealed that plans are in top gear to open ATTC offices in 53 other African countries that will connect Africa to the world through Turkey and vice versa.

  • FTAN holds exhibition

    THE 2016 edition of the Nigerian Tourism Investors’ Forum and Exhibition (NTIFE) organized by the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) was held last week in Abuja.  The event was organized by the FTAN  for the public  to interact and look at investment opportunities in Nigerian tourism and discuss its challenges and the way forward.

    The two-day event, which had reasonable attendance by federal government agencies, states and private sector  participation, had presentations by the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) and the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

    In his welcome address, the FTAN president, Chief Tomi Akingbogun, said the forum offered states and council areas the opportunity to come and showcase their potential to investors.

    He said: “NTIFE is the right place for all local governments, state governments  and the federal government to come and compete  for private investors. Our expectation is that all states and  council areas will come here to show us the private investors, what relative advantages they have for us in different areas.

    “Is it easy access to land or documentations, is it tax holidays for new businesses, is it trained labour and so on?

    “We the private sector expects to be courted to invest in Nigeria and  different areas of administration. It is only through our several investments that government can generate revenue through taxes, create employment and reduce crime.”.

    Delivering his paper at the event, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said tourism has become a key sector of the economy of many countries, and Nigeria, with its huge population of 170 million, can benefit from it.

    He said further: “As a labour intensive industry, tourism has the potential to create more jobs per unit of investment than most other industries. The sector also has the potential to be a sustainable engine for economic growth and diversification.It is a major asset to Nigeria’s quest to become one of the twenty largest economies in the world by year 2020 which is barely four years from now.

    “Therefore, there is the need for urgency, if the country is to realize its vision. Permit me to observe that the tourism industry generally is assuming increasing importance in most countries of the world because of its many facets which serve as tools for economic recovery, diversification and development. It enhances women’s economic opportunities, promotes their effective control over resources and offers safe spaces for women and girls to develop support networks and life skills.

    “For individual countries, the advantage of the tourism sector lies in its employment-creating potential and the challenge it presents for the enhancement of the quality of the environment. Through the development of the tourism sector, a country could become well placed to promote the development of its traditional cottage industries, tourist attractions and even the people’s lifestyle and heritage to the world at large.

    “I can confidently state that even nowadays, as countries are battling to overcome the adverse effects of crisis, resulting from severe recession and worsening economic conditions, tourism could be one of the pillars which, if properly supported by governments globally, could stimulate economic recovery, development and a brighter tomorrow for all.”

  • Kenya Airways issues free ticket to competition winner

    THE Kenya Airways (KQ) has fulfilled the pledge of a free ticket to Nairobi to the winner of the 7th Travelscope Youth Tourism & Hospitality Leaders Forum Essay Competition held on May 5, 2016 at Jogor Centre, Ibadan.

    The organiser of the event and Managing Editor, Travelscope Magazine, Omololu Olumuyiwa, while presenting the KQ ticket to the winner, Ebenezer Oyawale, lauded the airline for their unflinching support and great passion for youth tourism advancement.

    “With the KQ flight ticket, Kenya Airways has further demonstrated that Africans should embrace one another to explore the tourism potential within the continent that cannot be experienced in any other continents”, Olumuyiwa said.

    Oyawale, a tourism management student of Federal Polytechnic, Ede, in his response shortly on receiving the ticket, said: “For me, this trip to Kenya is a dream come true knowing that the country is one of the leading safari destinations in Africa.

    “Kenya Airways and Travelscope have reawakened my passion for tourism.  I have earlier gained at the educative tourism forum and with this flight ticket, I have another opportunity for sight-seeing and practical exploration of the tourism potentials in Kenya”,Oyawale said.

    Olumuyiwa further said: “The annual forum is organised as a platform to provide an opportunity to engage youths and stakeholders with interest in tourism. They will actively participate in the educative forum as a way to orientate and as well uplift their lives to contribute positively towards sustainable development of the sector in Nigeria”.

  • Ileya Omo Oodua festival begins tomorrow

    A Nigerian in Ghana, Mr. Adewale Williams, has put together a plan to organize a festival called Ileya Omo Oodua Festival.

    Williams said the festival, which will hold in Ile Ife from tomorrow,  will bring together Yoruba from different parts of the world.

    Adewale said the Ileya Omo Oodua  was a project to awaken and rekindle all Yoruba descendants with belief of being a proud race at home and abroad.

    He spoke further: “ Oduduwa  brings peace to the world, considering that the name Oduduwa actually means prayer.”

    He said the festival will create a homecoming platform for all Yoruba, blacks, Hispanics and even white to recognize the fact that we are one indivisible people from God. It will bring all descendants of Oodua together to celebrate our progenitor and open the vistas of investment opportunities to boost tourism.

    “The Ileya Omo Oodua Festival is a week-long event aimed to expose our rich cultural heritage to the world and to generate revenue for businesses through these many cultures. So you see, this project goes beyond just festival,”he said.

    Asked whether the festival was auspicious with the economic challenge the country was going through, he said: “There is no time like now. His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, has been stressing  the importance of peace in the world and that Africa, being the centre of the world, must be united.

    “ Today, tourism potential in the Middle East has plunged. Ours in Africa is largely untapped. Only Kenya and South Africa can boast of about a billion dollars annually in tourism.

    “In Nigeria, let us take Osun State as an example. The state has more than five different waterfalls. There is one that has three steps or more.”

     

     

     

  • Sheraton Abuja Hotel hosts wine festival

    TO celebrate the annual International Wine Festival in Nigeria, Sheraton Abuja Hotel, alongside the organizers of the Nigerian International Wine Festival, organized a three day event at the hotel.

    The three-day event started  with a celebration of Sheraton Paired  the Sheraton brand’s new hotel lobby bar experience that comprises of artisanal small plates and elevated bar snacks, served alongside premium wines and suggested beverages.

    Guests were reintroduced to the concept which stretches the boundaries of traditional pairing principles by blending ingredients together in new and unexpected ways.

    The food and beverage experience was inspired with music and culture at the lobby bar of the hotel attended by members of the diplomatic community, top VIPs and CEOs of multinational organizations.

    The second evening unveiled the French Night with French wines with (and)Sheraton Paired activations #pairedperfectly. There was a proper wine tasting session featuring an array of exotic wines  served alongside delectable canapes, small cuts and other Sheraton favorites.

    There was also good music to create a more relaxed ambience and external customers were able to have an elevated experience with a cocktail at the hotel’s (Pool Terrace) pool bar and restaurant.

    Members of the expatriate community in Abuja alongside other VIP guests had an exciting night with dance performances from TDA Dance Group and Legend, performing on the key board.

    The highlight of the three-day event occurred with over 2000 people who arrived at the Sheraton Abuja Sports Field to watch the four-time Grammy nominated singer “Femi Kuti” perform live on stage under the Chocolatecity Label.

    Other performers such as Niniola and Jesse Jagz added panache to the night.  Members of the audience were enthralled as the crowds followed the truly Nigerian performances from the Femi Kuti dancers, while chanting to popular choruses from the music maestro such as “Wonder” alongside others.

    The General Manager of Sheraton Abuja Hotel, Nouman Irshad, said: “We have collaborated with the right partners to inspire our guests and audiences by creating interesting and enriching events which bring people together to recharge and unwind in our relaxing spaces”.

  • Minister inaugurates committee to review tourism master plan

    THE Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday inaugurated the Technical Committee on the Review of Nigeria’s Tourism Master Plan, with a call on members to articulate realistic policies that will drive tourism from the periphery to the mainstream of the economy.

    Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the minister said even though the tourism master plan was designed in 2006, a plan of action to implement it was abandoned half way hence the need for members of the committee to review the plan in consonance with contemporary challenges and realities and the peculiarities of Nigeria.

    “This team is to review our own tourism master plan and see which aspect of that master plan needs to be reviewed in consonance with what has happened both in terms of technology, politics and even in terms of climate change.

    “We are talking about reasonable and sustainable tourism because what we are offering to the world in terms of cultural and natural resources are also dependent on mother nature, and you must make sure that we do not expend it or expose it in a manner that children unborn will not have anything to show for it,” he said.

    Alhaji Mohammed said part of the drive of this administration to make tourism one of the pillars of the nation’s economy is the resuscitation of the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) and the review of the master plan.

    He said the Steering Committee on the PCT had already commenced the  drafting of the council’s agenda which will be handed over to the  president.

    The minister also disclosed the readiness of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to assist Nigeria in the review of the

    master plan, having contributed immensely to the drafting of the initial plan.

    He underscored the need to develop a synergy among all sectors ofgovernment, the private sector and the local community in order to have a multi-sectoral approach towards the development of tourism in Nigeria.”The thing about tourism is that it’s probably the most inclusive ofall endeavours in life,” Alhaji Mohammed said, noting that in tourism, the ministries of agriculture health, power, works and housing and even trade and investment are all important, ”and until we take this on board we will not be able to transit from being a country of huge tourism potential to a country’s whose economy will be driven by tourism and this is the beginning”.

    Members of the Review Committee include representatives from the Federal Ministries of Information and Culture, Interior, Budget and National Planning, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, as well as the National Association of Nigeria’s Travel Agencies.

  • Desigo initiates essay competition

    The Youth Tourism Connect , a culture and tourism initiative for the Nigerian youth, put together by the Desigo Tourism Development and Facility Management Company  is organizing a tourism essay competition.

    According to Mrs. Abigail Olagbaye of Desigo Limited, the competition is borne out of the desire to engage, inform, sensitize youths on the non-oil export- culture and tourism and to create awareness in their minds, enlisting them in the exploration of Nigeria’s culture and tourism which would provide exposure, learning, employment and business opportunities, sense of ownership, cross cultural interactions and exchanges. This would result into raising a generation of youth tourism ambassadors and advocates with robust national pride.

    Olagbaye, a former Miss Tourism, said, “The Youth Tourism Connect aims to contribute to efforts on curtailing brain drain as our young people will begin to see and appreciate the value, beauty and potential of the culture and tourism sector. They will also appreciate the essence of their contribution towards its growth and the inherent opportunities they can maximize for self- reliance, self- fulfillment, self-empowerment, cultural identity and national development. This will curtail youth restiveness and unemployment.

    “As tourism will be focalized, approaches in actualization of this project would involve conferences, tours, documentaries, camp meetings, tourism competition, creative talent events, prices and awards for ability to project aspects of Nigeria’s culture and tourism through arts, crafts, dance, poems, essay writings, cultural plays etc. or other expressions of creativity.”

    The essay competition is divided into different categories. The Junior Category is opened youths from the age of 11 – 19 years: “Citing major tourists attractions and products in your state and use one major  attraction and product in your state and use one major attraction to discuss the role of internet/ICT in developing tourism in Nigeria.”

  • SON completes work on hotel standardisation

    A major feat towards the regulation and standardisation of hospitality business in Nigeria has been achieved by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria as its National Mirror Committee (NMC) on tourism has successfully completed work on the first ever national framework on standards for Nigerian hotels. This is expected to form the baseline for the grading and classification of hotels in the country once approved.

    Head, Ogun State Office 1 of SON, Engr. Enebi Shaibu Onucheyo, who represented the Director General of SON, Osita Anthony Aboloma, at the event held in Lagos recently, described this as a great achievement that would bring development in the tourism industry as well as build confidence in the products and services offered by the industry in Nigeria.

    He said: “With what we  have seen here today, there are a lot of achievements under the able chairmanship of Mrs. Chika Balogun, the Directore General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR). I think her emergence as the chairman of the committee is a good thing that has happened to Nigeria in the area of tourism. She is very active; she has taken the committee to a different level. Today alone, we have adopted four standards in the tourism sector. This is going to enhance the performance and the services rendered within the tourism sector of the economy.”

    He said although there are more standards to be adopted, but the next stage for the standards adopted is for SON to  look at the document and  do what is called editorial review  and then send it to our council for final approval.

    It will also be  sent to the international community such as the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and other relevant international bodies for approval before it becomes a legal document for the tourism sector.

    The National Mirror Committee was inaugurated by SON in April this year in Lagos with the mandate to review and adopt the International Standard Organisation (ISO/T228) and Africa Organisation for Standardisation set up by ECOWAS in accordance with international best practices for use in the tourism industry.