MINISTER of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, has called on tourism stakeholders to move the industry to the next level.
He made the call at the presentation and launch of a book titled: “Redefining tourism in Nigeria: The real issues and challenges Vol. 1-3” at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The Minister, represented by the Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality & Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mrs. Chika Balogun, said: “This effort must be collective and should attract the best of public-private partnership.’’
He added: “Nigeria has strong comparative advantages in the hospitality and tourism industry because of its diverse cultural heritage that are all disposed to what is commonly referred to as the Nigerian hospitality.
“This great nation is, indeed, blessed with abundant natural and cultural resources that are well-blended for tourists’delight and, might I add, a strong emphasis on domestic tourism. It is against this background that the Federal Government is committed to repositioning tourism as one of the levers for economic growth and development in the country,” Lai Muhammed said.
Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Director-General Mrs. Mariel Rae-Omoh restated her commitment to ensuring that youths embraced tourism.
This, according to her, informed the efforts of the corporation to promote youth tourism.
She said:“I have always been a crusader of youth tourism, even before I became the Acting DG. And now, the efforts have been geared up as the corporation under my administration is committed to heightening the interest of the youth in tourism, making them appreciate the inherent rewards of the money-spinning sector.”
Mrs Rae-Omoh, who noted that the book would educate youths on the importance of tourism, added that the book was long overdue.
The tourism book is centered on changing Nigerians’perception on the place of tourism to the national development.
Tag: tourism
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Culture minister advises stakeholders on tourism
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Assembly to partner RTEAN on tourism
Lagos State House of Assembly has promised to partner with the state branch of Road Transport Employers’ of Nigeria (RTEAN) to boost tourism ahead of “Lagos at 50” celebrations.
House Committee on Tourism, Art and Culture chairman Desmond Elliot told RTEAN members during a visit to their secretariat.
He said: “Transportation is key to tourism because tourists need to be transported from one point to the other”.
RTEAN Chairman Alhaji Musa Muhammed hailed the committee, saying it was the first time any arm of government or its agencies visited the association.
“We have never been recognised except during election because we have 20,000 members that are eligible voters in Lagos State,” he said.
RTEAN, he said, was ready to support the government and its policies. He said they were given 52 garages in six council areas, but noted that none is operational.
A member of the committee and Central Business District (CBD) Committee Chairman Victor Akande said: “Transportation cuts across other committees, so we need your assistance and collaboration, we will in turn come together to assist you”. -
Lagos forges ahead in tourism
Lagos State residents were spoilt for choice as the government of the state, with One Lagos tourism and entertainment activities in five divisions: Agege, Victoria, Epe, Badagry and Ikorodu . Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had promised to make Lagos a tourism hub and true to this promise, the Lagos State with the One Lagos project had not only created an authentic Lagos celebration, but also spoilt Lagosians with opportunities for relaxation and fun.
The One Lagos fiesta was put together by the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism and Culture and Information Ministry of the state not only to promote and nurture the culture of relaxation and healthy fun, but to provide hidden young talents the opportunity for stardom.
It was in the light of this that the Governor Ambode, in his address to flag off activities in Epe Centre of the One Lagos fiesta, said the event was put together to teach the youths the need to cultivate the habit of working hard so that they could achieve their dreams.
Recalling his early years in Epe, Ambode said the governor said he became governor of the state through the grace of God and hard work.
His words: “What I want to tell all of you is that we believe so much in all of you. We know that you are our future. I started from here, and today by the grace of God, I happened to be your governor. There will be many governors from this crowd. But if you want to be a president; if you want to be a governor; if you want to a doctor or you want to be a lawyer and so on, you must work hard”.
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‘We’re out to promote tourism through Cocoa Festival’
Adaeze Ekwueme, the Chief Executive Officer of the Eti-Oni Development Group (EDG) (transforming a rural community into a sustainable smart town), is currently a postgraduate student at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, she talks about her group’s plan for Eti-Oni, a rural community in South West Nigeria and home to Nigeria’s oldest cocoa plantation (established in 1896), how the EDG is going to empower the people of the community, the group’s challenges and its vision.
Recently, you celebrated Cocoa Festival at Eti Oni, Osun State; what was the festival all about?
The festival happened in a town, Eti Oni, which is the birth place of cocoa in Nigeria. The town is the oldest single plantation in the country and we were looking for a way to celebrate the rich history and the culture of Eti Oni . The festival was organized by the Eti Oni Development Group. I’m the CEO of that group. Our mission in the group is to transform the rural community of Eti Oni to a sustainable town. Oni is along the line of sustainable development goal. I mean sustainable in terms of self- sufficiency.
How would you rate your performance since you started this project?
On the Cocoa Festival, this is the third year running and the first time we are opening it up to the public. It is a good platform to showcase the plans we have for the future and providing this self- sustainable environment. The plans we have include eradicating poverty, providing education and providing some basic infrastructure and social infrastructure, so we want to use that as a lunch pad to say these are the plans we have.
Are you collaborating with the state government to make this a reality?
Osun State government has been supportive to us, especially during the Cocoa Festival. The access road to Eti Oni was really bad but the government was able to help us grade the road. That was the first time I personally drove into the community. I didn’t have to stop two villages away. The fact that they were able to grade the road, all the people we invited, the VIPs and all the tourists were able to drive in. It also gave the sense of happiness to the people of the town because a few of them have cars. They had not been able to use their cars because the road was not motorable. The fact that it was graded, they were able to move freely. That was the first step. As Cocoa Festival is an annual event and ultimately getting bigger, the road will be tarred., Tarring the road will improve the lives of the people around; development will be multiple.
From your name, you are not from this community, what is your interest?
I’m a postgraduate student at the University of Oxford. This is my third time in what I call part- time practitioner and part- time academic which means I’m a full- time everything. I’m always learning more and engaging and finding a new way of solving some of the problems we have in the society. My main research is the concept of shared value. I believe that a lot of companies are getting it wrong in the sense that they think that if they want to make profit, they still need to exploit everyone in the expense of society. But when you start building business modules, you actually bring people into it. It is not just a business module about you making money; it is a business module that involves empowering 100 or 10000 people. It is actually a more sustainable business module. Yes I’m a business person, I’m looking at a new way to drive business.
Yes, we are not coming there to do a charitable venture. So if you give a thousand people or you improve their lives to a certain extent, you give them quality life to a certain extent, you have engaged the next level of consumers. These people will now add different things to what they had five years ago. As you do this, some business will have more customers and it will go on and on like that. If you empower people and you give them sustainable income and they now have certain level of housing, certain level of education, their level will increase and their taste will increase.
The town is the source of the raw material, cocoa; what are your plans about bringing investors to the town?
Good thing you said source of raw materials, what we are actually doing in the Eti Oni Development Group is not just limited to Eti Oni, we are trying to build an economic module in Eti Oni as a pilot and we are hoping that we can share our findings with so many other communities in Africa, so that they can replicate our success and help build their own communities. The main problem is that the focus has always been on raw materials and that is really where the value is. We are very extractable in Africa. We take our crude oil out, process it and bring it back. Because we are so blessed, we don’t really see the need to process it. It is just fast money. ‘Let’s get it out, let’s get rid of it.’ Well, with cocoa, our main thing is with the value addition.
We are actually adding value in three ways; Funny enough, the first one is with the Cocoa Festival, value addition in giving a tourism angle to an agricultural product. In South East, they have New Yam Festival even in other parts of the world, they have chocolate festival but nobody has a Cocoa Festival, but we are going to celebrate raw material of cocoa which is what Eti Oni is about and the origin of chocolate which they are celebrating everywhere and that is going to be the essence of Cocoa Festival, adding value to cocoa through tourism, we had quite number of visitors this year and I’m sure it will grow. The second way, we are developing premium artisan in chocolate. it is a way to go , just from raw cocoa beans to fine chocolate that is very exclusive with a particular clientele .
We were able to generate more money that we used in funding the development. Some people ask why aren’t you making chocolate in Nigeria. We are not cholateers, we are trying to raise money to help our community. Who are the consumers of chocolate? That is the problem of value chain, consumers of chocolate are not here in Africa, they are in Europe. Cocoa industry worth 10 billion dollars, 75 per cent of which comes from Africa. The entire confectionery industry of cocoa is worth 200 billion dollars and 90 per cent of those consumers are there. We would say we are making money, we are doing cocoa, we are not making 1/ 20 of what they are making, so how do we go in there and tap into those markets? That is what we are doing with our own chocolate. We did give a sample of it in special commemoration for the cocoa festival, celebrating our 120 years, the result was very good.
We received a lot of praises . We are going to do more chocolates. We are doing another special edition to raise funds for our hospitals and development. So the premium chocolate is one thing, another thing is that we don’t consume much here, we have two of the confectionery companies in Nigeria, Nestlé and Cadbury. We don’t produce chocolate for the Nigerian market; it is not what we consume here. There are other related things, may be Bournvita or other drinks, the actual chocolate is not here. The third way we are adding value is we are developing 5,000 metric tonnes of cocoa processing plant, instead of exporting mainly the raw beans. we have to see a way of adding more value to the cocoa, even if it is not getting all the way to chocolate, We can process it to cocoa butter, and we are empowering the community as well in this cocoa processing
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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.
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TIME TO ESCHEW POLITICS IN TOURISM SECTOR
THERE is no doubt that at the moment, we are in search of our lost glory (if we’d had any at all) in the area of culture and tourism. And with the recent sack of Sally Mbanefo as Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Nigerian government must prove to us that it has turned a new leaf from playing politics with our national heritage. I dare say that the years of Sally Mbanefo as D.G of NTDC was a colossal waste, in the same way that the film industry has been thrown into total darkness in the hands of its current Managing Director, Danjuma Dadu.
There is no doubt that the bane of art, culture and tourism in Nigeria is having the wrong people in the right places. And unless the government of Muhammadu Buhari is paying lip service to its much touted diversification of the Nigerian economy, the time is now to guard entertainment and tourism jealously, as the hen with the potential to lay the golden egg.
My thoughts on how astern culture and tourism in Nigeria has been was rekindled by the opening in NTDC, and just as I once posited that filmmaker Kunle Afolayan is a cultural man to the core, another man who is tourism personified, is Ikechi Uko. For Mr. Uko, Founder of the world famous Akwaaba Expo and 2015 Africa’s Tourism Ambassador by America-based African Sun Times, I stand in the gap for history, and do hope that the powers that be will consider merit and not sentiment in their choice of a new D.G for the NTDC.
Before I go briefly into the profile of Uko, let me open our minds to what culture and tourism can do to the economy of Nigeria, using the indices of a small country called The Gambia.
The first time I visited The Gambia, I was stunned by the number of immigrants trooping in and out of that country. It was not for the long bread and tea which appears to be the only thing produced in that country, but for holidaying. Indeed, the country is said to import such surpluses that we have in Nigeria like eggs, garri, yam and rice among other food stuff.
The Gambian economy is predominantly dependent on tourism. And what does the country sell other than beach resorts that thrive on a serene environment, clean waters, scorching sun and adequate security for revelers. Lagos, for example, has more, with potential even for more of these qualities, when you consider its entertainment centers, historical sites, cultural events, natural landscape and topography traversed by sea and lagoon waters, enormous beaches and waterfronts, sea foods and other numerous delicacies that define a true metropolitan city. The missing gap has been the inability of leaders to harness these beauties for the all-important social and economic benefits. Apart from The Gambia, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania are also making a kill from culture and tourism. But how do we market our made in Nigerian goods when we have refused to brand them for marketing? How do we market the Erin Ijesha Water Falls, Gurara Water Falls, the Oguta Water Confluence when we have not thought of developing them? How do we market the Argungu Fishing Festival in the North; Calabar Carnival in the South-South and Osun Osogbo Festival in the South-West when we don’t see the national importance in them? While thinking of bailouts for the current recession, it is only wise to consider the fact that culture and tourism alone is capable of feeding Nigeria.
One State in Nigeria that is taking the lead in tourism is Cross River, and only this year, its Governor, Ben Ayade, was named Tourism Man of the Year for Nigeria and West Africa, beating contenders which include the Minister of Tourism for Ghana, the Minister of Tourism for the Gambia and Obinna Ekezie, MD of Wakanow.
It is pertinent to state here that one of the people instrumental to Ayade’s feat is Uko, who only last year was reappointed by the governor as consultant for the international aspect of the carnival in which 11 countries participated.
Uko, a Nigerian travel business consultant, travel promoter, tourism development expert, media consultant, journalist and author, comes across to me as the man with the right exposure and connection. He is the organiser of Abuja Bantaba and Akwaaba African Travel Market; the only international travel fair in West Africa; Project Director of Seven Wonders of Nigeria (Naija7Wonders), and CEO of Jedidah Promotions (an international media and tourism marketing firm for airlines, hotels and destinations across Africa) and publisher of Africa Travel Quarterly Magazine and atqnews.com.
Wikipedia describes Uko as a very well-traveled person, traveling close to 200 days in a year.
In 2008, he was appointed a member of the tourism committee for Nigeria Vision 2020 by the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Ikechi Uko is presently pushing his proposal to build an aviation museum for Nigeria, using abandoned aircraft as exhibits. He said that the project would promote Nigeria’s tourism; empower and educate a new generation of aviators; draw international investors in the aviation industry to Nigeria and serve as an “eye-opener” to look and work for a brighter future in the aviation industry.
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Lagos ‘committed to developing tourism’
As a result of the current economic recession which the country is experiencing due to fall in oil in the international market, the three tiers of government are looking inwards to identify sectors of the economy that have not been fully tapped into. This is with a view to shore up their revenue base for implementation of their various people-oriented programmes.
In the circumstances, Lagos State has shown commitment in developing its tourism potential as a way of encouraging would-be investors to have interest in the money-spinning non-oil sector. Several efforts are being made to ensure the potential inherent in its fascinating coastal landscape and other resources are maximally utilised.
In a bid to realise this goal, Governor Ambode, few weeks ago, was granted permission to upgrade the Marina-Onikan axis of the Presidential Lodge into a global tourist centre by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also recognising the viability of the gaming industry in achieving a robust tourist hub, the governor transferred the administration of the Lagos State Casino and Gaming Law and Regulations to the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB).
The board has since mapped out strategies towards providing legal platform to address issues impeding smooth operation by pools promoters, agents, casino and the general gaming industry.
At its maiden meeting with stakeholders, the newly appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the board, Oluwaseun Anibaba expressed the board’s commitment to redefining tourism through effective regulation of the sector.
He said if adequately managed, foreign direct investments would be on the increase, with the state retaining its position as the largest gaming city which has the largest casino facilities.
The essence of the forum, according to Anibaba, was to interact with key players on strategies to elevate the sector through formulation of investor-friendly regulations. He emphasised that the board will harmonise all laws and regulations relating to gaming, pledging that the board will partner with necessary regulatory agencies to engender an atmosphere conducive to gaming operations.
“We are looking forward to harmonising gaming laws. As a state, we want to harmonise all the laws pertaining to lottery, sports betting and casinos. Casino, pools and betting were added to us late July. We didn’t want to come up with laws; we wanted to give the operators the opportunity to talk about their challenges and the issues they are facing.
“Our main objective is to protect our operators and stakeholders. There are many areas we can add value to and create environment conducive to new innovations. For us, it entails leveraging on what we can do as a government and working hand-in-hand with other parastatals.
On laws, you have to get approvals for certain things; you might actually have to go to the House of Assembly if need be. By next year, frameworks, specific layouts relating to casinos, pools and betting will be finalised,” he said.
He noted that revenues generated from the sector were injected into provision of social amenities, adding that though some cultural beliefs do not permit gaming, the board will intensify its efforts in sensitising the public to the benefits indulging in gaming. He assured that shortcomings such as underage gaming will be minimised.
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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.
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‘Economy’s diversification through tourism is now’
The Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Uwechue-Mbanefo, has called on the government, private sector and stakeholders to diversify the economy through domestic tourism for a sustainable economic development
She spoke during a presentation at the 46th Annual Accountants’Conference in Abuja tagged: “Beyond oil: Harnessing Nigeria’s resources for national development.’’
The NTDC boss said: “Now is the right time for the government to diversify from a mono- economy of crude oil to a multi dimensional economy that is tourism-based through a pragmatic tourism policy. There is need to develop an encompassing tourism policy if it is to be sustainable, equitable and responsive to contribute more to the country’s economic development and in effect raise the quality of life of all people.”
Mrs. Uwechue-Mbanefo stressed the need for Nigerians to promote and patronise local products, adding that only Nigerians can sell Nigeria within and in the diaspora.
“My domestic tourism campaign is focused on encouraging Nigerians to travel within the country and experience the superb weather, unique festivals, such as the Durbar in the North, Osun Osogbo in the South west, Igbo Ukwu (New Yam) festival in the Eastern part of Nigeria and others among various ethnic groups.
“We should work and vacate more here. Besides the fact that only a small percentage of Nigerians can afford to go on vacation outside the country, Nigeria is rich in places for vacation and adventure,” she said.
Mrs Uwechue-Mbanefo noted that Nigeria remains a work in progress, adding that the Federal Government was working hard to improve all sectors.
She urged Nigerians to imbibe lessons from the patience, perseverance and faith of President Muhammadu Buhari. “After sacrifice comes a better Nigeria; as day must come after night, so better times must follow times of struggles and sacrifice,” he said.
The NTDC chief said: “We have to continue to focus on our production capacity in Nigeria by investing in sectors of the economy that are labour-intensive, such as tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.’’
Earlier, the Chairman of the session, Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere, praised Mrs Uwueche-Mbanefo’s efforts in promoting the rich cultural heritage of the country. He pledged to support the Corporation in the promotion of domestic tourism, noting that it the bedrock of economic development.
He said: “ICAN is ready to sponsor one- page advertisement on a comprehensive tourism sites on monthly basis.”
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FTAN prepares for tourism investment forum
THE Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) is set for the 2016 Nigerian Tourism Investors Forum (NTIFE) scheduled to hold on November 29 and 30 in Abuja. The theme for this year’s edition is Tourism: Tool for Economic Recovery and Development.
The NTIFE will bring together experts in the travel and tourism trade to deliberate and make recommendations to both the private and public sectors. Federal and state governments’ agencies involved in travel and tourism are also expected to participate in the deliberation.
The forum, according FTAN, offers opportunity for the promotion of Nigeria as a tourist destination. Through the opportunities for exhibition during the two-day event, private sector practitioners, states and agencies of the federal government are offered opportunities to showcase their tourism products and potentials and be able to meet with potential investors in tourism.
Also during the event, issues affecting the growth and development of tourism in the country are brought to the fore, with experts and practitioners offering solution on the way forward.
It will also bring together investors in travel and tourism and policy makers from the public sector to a platform for meaningful discussions on the development of the sector.
NTIFE, according to FTAN, has become even more important now that the federal government has identified domestic tourism as one of the avenues for poverty alleviation. This, it says, has become imperative given the fact that tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, generating an estimated 11 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The industry employs about 200 million people and annually transports nearly 700 million people. This, the organiser says, is what the NTIFE would the government achieve.
NTIFE, organisers say, will help the government harness the full tourism potentials of the country in the quest to diversify the economy.
Speaking on the this year’s NTIFE, the chairman of the committee for the forum, Otunba Ayo Olumoko, said this year’s event would be an improvement on past editions, as it was the first time FTAN is setting up a committee with a mandate to organise the forum. He said the gesture has brought a certain level of professionalism that the committee has the duty of sources for fund, bringing in corporate participation and reaching out to different states. He said this year’s NTIFE would witness greater participation for the public and private sector.
On the format that the forum would take, Olumoko said participants would have opportunity to exhibit their products and services. There would also be cultural presentations from states and groups.