The Nation Newspaper

Tag: tourism

  • Sambisa, RUGA and tourism

    The first and only time I visited Calabar, the Cross River State capital was over eight years ago to attend a conference organized by the Centre for Management Development, CMD. During the three-day programme, I soaked myself in the freshness of a city that prides itself as an old seat of the British colonists in Nigeria.

    Calabar is where in the early part of the 19th  Century, an Irish humanist, Mary Slessor put an end to an abhorrent cultural practice of murder of girl-twins because of the prevailing myth that such multiple births portend bad omen for the largely heathen society. In my morning and evening survey of Calabar during the conference, I found the city possessing an alluring beauty, with well laid out streets. Calabar is exemplified environmental purity during my visit.

    In this city, I saw the definition of dignity of labour in the passion of street sweepers. From as early as five o clock the morning, they were on the roads, with brooms in both hands and with mechanical precision and sweat streaming their faces, their two hands sweep in dizzying speed to give the city of Mary Slessor a glittering look as the sun rises daily. Its cab drivers were genial as I engaged them in discussion. As the conference wound up, I had time on hand to take a tour of Tinapa Resort.

    Tinapa is a futuristic theme park with benumbing and vast shopping facilities. The resort is the making of Donald Duke whose dream was to turn his home state into an Eldorado of sort, an African tourist destination that would rival Genting Highlands in Malaysia. A visit to Malaysia is incomplete without a sight of Genting. Tinapa should be the Marvel of Cross River, a diamond in the sun that splashes light on the garden city as it welcomes millions of visitors to lavish life savings as Calabar tourists.

    But has Donald Duke’s dream to make Calabar a daring tourist destination materialized? This can be confirmed or refuted by what has become of Tinapa since he left office after eight years in the saddle. Since, my last and only visit of Calabar, Tinapa has hardly made any cheering news as a tourist destination to put the city or Nigeria on the world tourism map in the mould of Disneyland. Yet for a state like Cross River, if it were in South East Asia which I’m a bit familiar with, Tinapa would have been a high revenue earner as it pulls millions of tourists into the embrace of the garden city.

    Not just Cross River; every state in Nigeria has the potential to earn megabucks from tourism, far more than what some whole countries in Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean islands earn from visitors. If in New Delhi, one could pay to visit the home of the Ghandis, I ask why can’t our tourism ministry make millions from Tafawa Balewa tourist site in Bauchi? Indonesia’s Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Independence Park receives streams of tourist daily in Jakarta, a site promoted by the wife of one the country’s president just as the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and the adjoining KLCC Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur is a daily crowd puller. The entirety of Singapore at the Southern tip West Malaysia is a tourist delight.  When Nigerians travel to Dubai or Doha, they tell tales of even just the airports as tourists’ delights.

    When we travel to Saudi Arabia or Israel, we talk of those countries beyond the spiritual import of the hajj, umrah or the pilgrimage they hold for Muslims and Christians. We talk about beauty and order in the countries. We talk about efficiency of their infrastructure. When we travel to India, we envy the health services on offer. When we attend conferences in Europe, we are fascinated by the quality of service of the hospitality industry there. The sporting infrastructure in some countries is the main attraction that yields for them billions in dollars. Some islands in the pacific region are just good enough for their silence and, perfect for rehabilitation or recuperation. Brunei Travelling by road to Abuja occasionally, I always luxuriate in the sights, scenes and sceneries of the lush foliage of green vegetation as it unfolds in the near twelve our drive, rolling hills and hillocks, towering mountains, heavy boulders and intimidating rock formations that define the Nigerian landscape in that segment of the country from Osun through Ondo, a strip of Edo and the swathe of Kogi before entering the sprawling Federal Capital Territory to be surprised by its wide boulevards. It is a sheer beauty, indeed alluring, mentally rejuvenating and spiritually soothing or calming, like the feeling one gets in the rain forest of the Borneo Island, shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam.  On such long trips I am most mentally fertile, manufacturing many of my masterpieces on motion.

    Abuja has a fair share of iconic buildings to be proud of in the country, including the breath-taking National Mosque and the opulent National Christian Ecumenical Centre that qualify as tourist attractions in many countries of the world. Traveling from Abuja to Kaduna sometimes last year, the Idu Train Station was my transit point from where I had a ride like in a flight to the Northern Nigerian political capital. What do these tell us about tourism in Nigeria? Simple. The country has vast tourism potentials which unfortunately have not been sufficiently tapped into. I think we first need to have a wider perspective of tourism.

    Tourism is not just about travelling to have fun or for holidaying. Tourism covers every aspect of life that necessitates one to leave his home for another. From pilgrimage to establishing business link, seeking university admission, health rehabilitation, conference participation, arts and specialized exhibitions, trade fairs, cultural shows, sports fiestas and cultural festivals come under the gamut of tourism.  Each state government must therefore seek opportunities in the comparative advantages of its territories, leveraging on them to develop into tourism assets or potentials for earning huge revenue. This requires investment in supporting infrastructure and providing the enabling environment to attract tourists of shades and intents to their states

    For instance, the Centre of Excellence and State of Aquatic Splendour is blessed with beautiful beaches waiting for further exploration. All the littoral states can form a front to develop water sports just as the states in the savanna belt can offer the land for dizzying safaris and motor races. Our rainforest region indeed are crying for conversion into wild life parks for exploration of our flora and fauna and interesting forest expeditions. Money can be made in showcasing our cuisines and our artistic dexterities in exhibition of our prodigies wasting away in many corners of the country or finding solace in crime as one million boys, badoo, internet fraud and traders in flesh.

    Now the Borno State government according to news has decided to hand over part of the dreaded Sambisa Forest to the federal government for the experimentation of Rural Grazing Area, RUGA. This is where the notorious Boko Haram once used as cover for their onslaught against the Nigerian state in their mad ambition to overrun the country and force on the nation their queer ideology that attacks rationality and knowledge, the very foundation of the faith they claim to profess.

    Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum announced the donation recently when the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Garbai El-Kanemi, visited him at Government House, Maiduguri during Sallah and hinted that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, agro rangers and hunters had been mobilised to secure the area and revealed: “We have identified six different locations we consider safe for the pilot scheme in the state. The Ruga scheme is as old as history; it is not a new thing. I don’t know why some people are politicising it.

    Extricating it from politics or escapism, a business tourist zone in Sambisa to be be developed into an ideal RUGA becomes a pull for the world to see a zone of death rise as a settlement that spells a NEW DAWN in employment and productivity; a place where business in dairy or milk products, meat processing and associated industries come alive with passion perfection.

     

    • Abdulwarees is of the Voice of Nigeria.

  • Inspiring new vision to rebrand culture, tourism

    It is common knowledge that Dubai in United Arab Emirate is one of the world’s most visited cities in recent times. Tourist attractions in the city include Miracle Garden, Dubai Aquarium, Dubai Mall, Dubai Fountain, Old Dubai, Global Village, Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest building in the world and Burj Al Arab, the world’s tallest hotel with an underwater restaurant. Dubai has since emerged as a city where commerce communicates with culture to resonate as the tourism hub of the Middle East.

    Unlike most tourists to Dubai, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, recently led the council’s management team on a trip to Dubai. The aim was to expose the delegation to cultural tourism management using Dubai as a model. It also served as capacity building investment primed to reinvigorate staff potentials in order to expand the frontiers of management of culture in Nigeria.

    The team’s take-away is how does Nigeria leverage this illuminating exposure to brand and reinvent her cultural sector as a key player in the nation’s economy? Also, one inspiration behind the trip to Dubai is ‘Travel, see the sights and see what other people are doing with their culture and tourism. Come back home and see how to do something with ours. Market ours to the world, attract funds, grow the economy using culture and tourism to create jobs and attract tourists to Nigeria.’  In charting a new path to make total change in the creative sector, some major stakeholders in the sector especially, tourism operators, converged on Abuja last Friday for an interactive session devoid of rhetoric and theories. The screening of a 30-minute documentary on Dubai major sites set the tone for the brainstorming event organised by NCAC.

    Otunba Runsewe did not mince words when he told every participant to freely express his mind on the way forward as Nigeria cannot afford to neglect its rich cultural heritage that must be promoted as foreign exchange earner like oil and gas. He said it is high time Nigeria woke up to the reality that the creative sector has the capacity to fund the nation’s economy if given adequate attention. He disclosed that NCAC is planning to take  36 state commissioners and other key stakeholders to these sites in Dubai for practical experience.

    He said this vision needs drivers, ambassadors, platform runners, which every participant at the forum fits into. To him, this is a call to a new beginning to Africa and Nigeria must take the challenge first. “We are a people that believe we can do things first and I believe if they can do it there, we can do it and even better. The time is now as we cannot afford to wait any longer. The unborn Nigerians, the future generation of this country will not forgive us and posterity will not forgive us if we do not make amend and effect the changes now. So, I implore all stakeholders to come together for us to make a total change in this sector,” he said.

    He noted that only three states in United Arab Emirate Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Chaja are states that make economic impact using artificial approach to the endeavours of life and turn it to economic strength.   According to him, the management of NCAC undertook the trip to learn the tricks of these wonderful sites, with a view to inspiring same development back in Nigeria. “Only Dubai Mall has about 180 restaurants, over 5000 car park facility seeking more workers. Today, we must find a solution to our tourism industry,” he added.

    Director Research and Development NCAC, Dr. Elizabeth Ben-Iheanacho described the trip as a fantastic learning experience from which Nigeria can learn from the tourism strength particularly the history and evolution of the city of Dubai from the ancient desert to a fascinating tourism destination.

    Director Arts and Crafts, NCAC, Mrs ChinweAbara said the Dubai trip was phenomenal, which shows that the Emirate is well structured which Nigeria should emulate its commitment, spirit and sincerity of purpose of Dubai people in transforming some of our cultural sites into world tourism hub.

    Director Performing Arts, Mr. Sam Agbi NCAC, said: “Words may fail me to express exactly how I feel. What I saw in Dubai is simply creativity at its peak. The experience at all the tourists’ sites shows that the people are wonderful and I pray and hope that government of Nigeria will replicate same.”

    Among issues raised at the storming session that lasted some hours included setting up of a think-tank to drive the vision, conceptualise the ideas and develop them for implementation; establishment of a stand-alone tourism ministry and tourism police; imbibing the new culture of being proud of Nigeria, having Nigeria at heart and selling Nigeria; ensuring that professionalism is key in the new narrative; creating of content that will drive tourism; identifying like-minds that will serve as drivers, ambassadors and platform runners of the vision; and sustaining the advocacy for total change in the sector.

    Among participants at the interactive session were President National Association of Tour Operators Hajia Bilikisu Abdul-Ogueyi, Tourism Boat Operator Mr. Gani Tarzan Balogun, Vice President Society of Nigerian Artists, Mr. Akeni Prosper, President National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Mr. Bankole Bernard, Vice President Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria, (FCT) Mr. Badaki Aliyu and President ANJET Mr. Andrew Okungbowa.

  • Our legacies in tourism, by Lagos

    Transactions in tourism exceeded N50 billion last Decmber, says Commissioner for Tourism Arts and Culture Steve Ayorinde, who speaks on the strategic policies, enabling infrastructure, tourism master plan and tourism promotion bill, among others, that make the state a preferred destination. Assistant Editor Arts Ozolua Uhakheme reports.

    Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Mr Steve Ayorinde  is upbeat about the Tourism Master-plan Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration will bequeathe to the in-coming government.

    He said the master-plan covers six sectors: Culture and Heritage; Films, Arts and Entertainment; Business Tourism; Nature and Adventure; Medical and wellness and Beach and Leisure.

    He noted that another legacy that the outgoing government would bequeathe to its successor is the Tourism Promotions Agency Law, adding that with the law, tourism promotions subsector would grow.

    Ayorinde, who spoke at the Third Nigerian Travel Awards, organised by Jumia Travels in Lagos, said it was the resolution of the Ambode-led administration to leave the legacy of a solid tourism-driven economy by conceiving a master plan as a blueprint document that would drive development and investment for the next 15 to 20 years.

    He said at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, that the last four years were committed to the governor’s growth agenda on the creative economy through Project T.H.E.S.E (Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sports for Excellence).

    According to him,this informs the investment in human capital and infrastructure with impact on the creative industry, which has lived up to its promise in the last three and half years.

    “It should be noted that this strategic intervention did not happen by accident, it has been a deliberate plan derived from a visionary study of the state, its demography and analysis of the creative sector, which has the capacity to absorb the teeming youth population, reduce poverty and crime as well as create jobs with multiplier effects on other sector,’’ he added.

    Continuing, Ayorinde said: “The last three and half years in the state have been eventful in terms of tourism infrastructure development as well as arts and cultural promotion, which we believe, will lay the long-term foundation to make Lagos State a sustainable tourism-driven economy and a leading haven for business and leisure in Africa.

    “In Lagos as you know, we relish in saying Eko For Show, but at the ministry, we see Travel and Tourism beyond the show part. We equally focus on the business and entrepreneurial component of it. We see, and we do our best to create enormous opportunities for stakeholders to further harness the tremendous economic and socio-cultural benefits of marketing a 21-million city-state and one of Africa’s Top 10 economies to domestic, regional and international visitors.

    “Between June 2015 and now, our goal of making Lagos State the preferred destination for tourism, leisure and business travel in Africa as well as promoting sustainable tourism development through enabling environment for both domestic and international tourists has been largely achieved. We have forged a new alliance with critical stakeholders. We constituted a Board for the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture to advise and assist in repositioning the culture and artistic image of the state and we executed in phases the most defining attempt in our country to beautify a state’s landscape with public art installations through indigenous artists,” he said.

    According to him, a new Lagos experience that is arty and chic has been created and is being enhanced daily as government continues to facilitate an enduring infrastructural and security architecture for the business of tourism and cultural arts to thrive.

    He identified the ongoing expansion and reconstruction of the Oshodi-Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, the entry point into the state, as a major infrastructure with strong impact on tourism.  He said by May, a stunning 10-lane world-class road and a multi-purpose bus-terminal that is, arguably, the biggest of its type in Africa will be completed.

    Ayorinde stressed that to put the state ahead in terms of ideas, long-term investments, top-notch infrastructure and human capacity development that are necessary for the expected competition among tourism destinations in Africa requires a long term strategic plan.

    According to him, other facilities, such as the Freedom Park on Broad Street, has been a shining example of a public-private sector arrangement that works.

    “So also is the Amusement Park, which with the plan to create access through waterways will definitely rise in value and patronage.

    “With Badagry as arguabley the leading attraction for slave-trade tourism, among others, the Badagry Heritage Museum and Vlekete Slave Market museum are just about to be re-equipped and furnished after their massive renovation. The completed ‘Point of No Return’ monument, too, is simply waiting for a major development into a theme park that can stun the world as captured in the Tourism Masterplan.”

    He added that as part of efforts to encourage tourism-driven initiatives and promote Lagos as a top destination that offers variety of contents to visitors, the state provided sponsorship and/or institutional support to organisers of major international entertainment and art events, such as the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), AKWABAA Travel Market as well as other indigenous festivals.

    Ayorinde noted that the colourful lifestyle, rich culture and the energy of Lagosians as always showcased at these events are a selling point to drive tourism traffic for economic growth.

    REad also: FTAN calls for stand-alone tourism ministry

    To him, these events provide a platform for airlines, hotels and restaurants, tour operators, travel agents, tourism boards, foreign trade missions, tourism sector travel professionals, the media and general public to interact and exchange experiences.

    On the preservation of peoples’ heritage, he said the state has continued to erect new and maintain all existing heritage and historical monuments in the state. Some of the monuments that depict these and received attentions are  the renovation of Tinubu Square Fountain, Statue of King Ado, the First Crown King of Lagos, Statue of Prince Olofin Atekoye. He added that the state also erected 23 new statues and monuments in parks and major public spaces across the city.

    “The state government’s effort at preserving cultural heritage of the people of Lagos State and its enormous historical values also received a boost with a grant of $600,000.00 (Six Hundred Thousand Dollars) from Ford Foundation towards the architectural design of the proposed Lagos Museum to be sited at the Onikan-Marina arts district, just like the ongoing redevelopment of the J.K Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture within the same zone.

    This project, which is due for completion soon, is the reason Lagos State has formally written the British Museum for the release of the historic Lander Stool, a sculptural work that is believed to have been taken out of Nigeria in 1863 and is presently in storage at the British Museum in London,” he said.

    According to the commissioner, the state is also very mindful of culture infrastructure investments, which informed the ongoing construction of Six Eko Theatres across the state. This, he said, is a project conceived by this administration to encourage creativity and create more spaces for theatrical and musical productions and offer platforms for upcoming artistes across arts and culture sector.

    Four of the six theatres located at Opebi, Badagry, Igando and Epe are almost completed and will be delivered by the contractors in May.

    Interestingly, the age-old Glover Memorial Hall in the heart of Lagos is ready to wear a new look by May as restoration work is currently ongoing there. This is where the first film screening was done in Lagos State in 1903 and that iconic structure will roar back to life like a new bride courtesy of the art-loving Governor Ambode.

  • Stakeholders set for Travel Nigeria Expo

    ALL is set for stakeholders within the Nigerian travel, tourism and cultural sector for the Travel Nigeria exposition,  a platform that is billed to deepen ongoing discussions, stimulate measurable actions and provide the most inclusive and sweeping  solutions on how to convert Nigeria’s tourism assets into economic growth and prosperity.

    In a press release, the organizers of the event, through their Event Director, Steve Ike, said Travel Nigeria will gather the most influential travel/tourism players, industry professionals and policy makers for a full day of expert-led conferences and tailored networking events to learn, share, discuss and chart a new path for the Nigerian travel/tourism industry.

    With the theme ‘Innovating, Collaborating and Growing to Restore the Travel and Tourism Industry in Nigeria’, Travel Nigeria is a two-pronged event comprising a national conference and exhibition. Travel Nigeria will also host premier and only business-facing and consumer-facing travel and tourism exposition in Nigeria.

    Scheduled to hold March 23, 2019 at the Eko Atlantic City Waterfront, Victoria Island-Lagos, Travel Nigeria is billed as an event of international standards aimed at promoting the travel and tourism business in Nigeria and developed to promote tourism as an engine for economic growth across Nigeria.

    According to Ike, Nigeria, like other countries on the African continent, is keen to convert our favourable demographics in relation to tourism into economic growth and prosperity. Nigeria’s tourism potential provides some of the best opportunities.

    The organizers have designed the event to set the tone for how tourism can be utilized as an engine for economic growth and job creation through innovative business models, new  technologies and strategic partnerships. The event will also provide a platform to network and explore new tourism markets and products, including the promotion and preservation of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and wildlife.

    “To address the impact of the geopolitical, economic and societal challenges facing the Nigerian travel/tourism industry and create new sources of growth, stakeholders need to adapt and rethink their strategies by collaborating with fellow players and creating new forms of philosophies. The Travel Nigeria summit is designed to offer insights, inspiration and solution-oriented tools to turn these philosophies into actions.

    Stakeholders, during the sessions, would deliberate on five key issues namely natural assets, infrastructure, financing, policy and strategy and technology. The summit will cover current burning issues affecting the industry.

    The summit will delve in detail into opportunities in travel and tourism, and will allow participants to be wholly updated on the market by some of the most senior experts in the sector. The summit will look at the roles and opportunities for all players in the market, including investors, financiers, government, ICT providers, development agencies and their related advisers, while networking with the leading professionals in tourism from across the country.

    Travel Nigeria will offer stakeholders a platform for discussing and sharing experiences, and deliberating on innovative interventions to support the growth of the nation’s economy through the development of a vibrant tourism sector.  The summit is expected to generate actionable recommendations that will transform the tourism landscape and create new opportunities across the country.

  • Tourism leads global economic growth

    INTERNATIONAL tourism is leading the global economic growth. This is according to the latest report of IPK’s World Travel Monitor.

    IPK carries out annual survey analysis of outbound travel behaviour in more than 60 countries worldwide, covering over 90 per cent of the global outbound demand. However, the report on Africa was scanty. There was also little information on Asia.

    In 2018, the number of outbound trips increased by 5.5 per cent, resulting in 1.4 billion international trips. Hence, once again, tourism is a key growth driver of the global economy, which “only” grew by 3.7 per cent in comparison. Growth is coming from all regions worldwide, from the mature markets, Europe and North America, but the strongest gains came from Asian and Latin American markets.

    For 2019, considering a slowing world economy, also a slightly lower growth rate is expected for international travel. Overtourism could become another growing problem for the tourism industry, with more and more international travellers feeling the effect of overcrowded destinations.

    Asia was the strongest source region last year, with overall seven per cent more outbound trips. Latin America followed with a plus of 6 per cent, while there were five per cent more trips from North America and Europe. Looking at the destination regions, once again Asia but also Europe were the global winners by receiving 6 per cent more international trips each, while the Americas were clearly below with a plus of three per cent.

    Regarding destination countries, one of the biggest changes was the stagnation of trips to Spain in 2018, a destination that boomed in the recent past. On the other hand, destinations that were avoided by tourists in the past are recovering, above all Turkey with 8.5 million more visitors in 2018 compared to 2017.

    Holidays once again outperformed business trips, due to the continuous downward path of traditional business trips, while MICE trips continued on a growth path. With international travellers staying slightly longer and also spending more when abroad, the turnover of international trips overall increased by eight per cent.

    For the second year in a row, IPK International measures the perceptions of overtourism among international travellers. While residents in affected destinations have been protesting for years, also travellers are feeling more and more impaired by the onslaught of tourist in particularly sought-after cities. IPK’s latest survey results show that meanwhile more than every tenth international traveler was negatively affected by overtourism. This is an increase of 30 per cent over the last 12 months. Cities strongly affected by overtourism were Beijing, Mexico City, Venice and Amsterdam, but also Istanbul and Florence.

    In particular, travellers from Asia felt a lot more affected by overtourism compared to,for example, Europeans.  According to the statistics, young travellers are a lot more bothered by overcrowding compared to older travellers.

    Similar to figures from 2018, 38 per cent of international travelers currently claim that political instability and terror threats will have an influence on their travel planning for 2019. At that, travellers from Asia feel a lot more impacted by terror threats than travelers from other continents. In terms of what kind of influence terror threats will have on the travel behaviour, the great majority states that they will choose only destinations, which they perceive as “safe”. The safety image of most destinations slightly improved over the last 12 months – also for Turkey, Israel and Egypt.

    With predictions of the global economic growth slowing down in 2019, also the forecast for international travel for this year is slightly below the performance of 2018. Overall, IPK International anticipates global outbound trips to increase by four per cent in 2019. Asia-Pacific remains leading with an expected plus of six per cent. Growth in the Americas is forecasted to reach three per cent, while Europe with three per cent is showing a weakening trend compared to last year.

  • ‘Way ahead for tourism’

    The Senate has passed the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) (Repeal renactment) Bill 2017 into law. The law, which was initiated to reposition NTDC, is awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari‘s assent. NTDC Director-General Folorunso Coker speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on his expectations of the law and its relevance to global tourism objectives.

    Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Director-General, Mr. Folorunso Coker, has described the new NTDC bill awaiting President Buhari’s assent as the needed legal framework to grow the nation’s tourism potential. He said the new bill when passed into law will prompt a financial framework that allows the agency to operate as a business entity capable of generating huge revenues for the economy.

    He likened the NTDC’s legal framework to the required foundation (the financial framework inclusive) laid in the communication, banking, oil and gas sectors, which resulted in their huge revenue returns.

    He lamented that most tourism operators are now unable to access loans from the banks because tourism does not generate individual returns, which may allow it to withstand 25 per cent interest rate. This, according to him, is because tourism is not seen as a serious business.

    Coker, who spoke in Lagos, said it is not profitable for the corporation to sit on the fence as a regulatory body and being unable to behave like a private sector concern in terms of understanding people’s needs.

    He noted that since he assumed office in 2017, he has refrained from performing assignments on the pages of  newspapers, but focused carefully on building blocks on a foundation that will allow subsequent development plans.

    “In tourism, the legal framework for the commercialisation of tourism world best practices was not there. The law was really old.  The law has also been handcuffed by a Supreme Court order, so it was not a law that could allow tourism industry generate the kind of revenues the oil and communication industries have. That is the significance.

    “With the legal framework required for the financial framework to sit on, with the global best practices locked into that, you can see that the lip services that tourism was paid can not achieve much, except the legal frame work is in place. For instance, tourism operators cannot conveniently borrow from the bank because tourism is not seen as a business, because there is no legal framework that supports it. Now, hopefully that will change as soon as the bill is passed into law,” he said.

    According to Coker, despite these challenges, tourism has been very lucky with the on-going infrastructural development (roads, rail, security, power) embarked upon by Buhari’s administration across the country. He added that for every naira President Buhari has spent in making the life of every Nigerian better is what tourism requires.

    He commended Nigeria for investing in agriculture, manufacturing, power, rail, road and other infrastructure, noting that the best off taker for these industries is tourism because it consumes almost all the products. “Tourism will create more intense demand for agricultural products, manufacturing, power, etc. and ‘we will see good value for the investment,” he said.

    “Every naira spent benefits tourism. Even though tourism is angling for more funds for specific tourism projects, a lot of things are being done that benefit tourism as it benefits the larger society. Also, we have started the process of Tourism Satellite Account, (TSA), which allows you to measure what is going right or wrong,” he said.

     

    Journey so far

     

    On the journey so far, Coker said: “This is not something one would particularly want to publicise. But, in terms of NTDC, I met a lot of historical debts. And with limited funding it was important that I discharge some of the historical debts, but I also kept the organisation alive. The financial engineering was required to balance that historical debts that I did not create, but keep people running and paid off little by little, without fear or favour.” The implementation of that is what attracted the initial protest by staff of the organisation. “If you have very limited resources, you must close loopholes. And when you do that, there will be crisis. In terms of human capital, our focus has been digital. I am glad that the staff have embraced the digital training because the future is digital. Today, the richest companies in the world are not in the oil and gas sector, but digital, where Apple, Google etc. are leaders. Everybody’s life in the future will be disrupted by this new technology.”

     

    Promoting tourism brands

     

    “Within the NTDC’s Tour Nigeria and Nigeria Flavour the digital marketing brands we created, we can generate in-bound tourists from the Diaspora as witnessed in Ghana last month, which might have been subsidised by that government.  By virtue of our population, we have the strength to bring good number of Diaspora to Nigeria. We are pleading for financial institutions to make funding of tourism cheaper for tourism stakeholders because tourism does not generate individual returns yet that allows it to stand 25 per cent interest rate.

    “If you go to Dubai or London, most of the tourism facilities are domestic first and foremost, but expanded to accommodate international plugging.

    “In fact, Nigeria offers value for money when compared to other cities. As long as we have good value for money, we will get the international tourists. All we need to do is get our fundamentals right. That is what I am trying to do.”

     

    Tourism Development Fund

     

    “This is to aggregate the taxes that are due to tourism and allow the identification of tourism tax that will go into the development fund, which will be managed by a board. For instance, if NTDC wants to build a small motel in Gurara Fall, we need to bring a seed money as counterpart fund to execute such project. This is to encourage the host state.

     

    Use of data for development

     

    “We have a very good relationship with National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The Bureau examined the performances of tourism related industry in the economy and declared that tourism was responsible for 34 per cent of the country’s GDP and 20 per cent employment generation. These figures are incredibly encouraging to me.

    “It is good Nigeria is investing in agriculture, manufacturing, power, rail, road and other infrastructure. The best off taker for these industries is tourism because it consumes almost all the products. Tourism will create more intense demand for agricultural products, power, etc and we will see good value for the investment. By investment, I mean the seed money we need to put into the sector to encourage state and private operators. In fact, the bill is not punitive to anybody as it is more by collaboration than enforcement.”

     

    Hotel standardisation

     

    “Hotel standardisation and grading across the world are done by countries and not by states. We are going through the motion with UNWTO to put ourselves in a position to grade all our hotels so that we can deliver value for money. We cannot force any state to subscribe to standardisation of hotels because it is in the state interest to subscribe. Will anyone wish to have many standards or one standard that is uniform across board?

     

    Expectations from the law

     

    “I see a future where NTDC is a technological company in the sphere of tourism regulation just like UBER in the sphere of transportation, Inter-switch in the provision of switching system in the banking sector. That’s is my vision for NTDC.”

     

  • Culture, tourism as means of viable economic development

    Culture is the totality of an individual, or group of persons’ way of life. This includes dressing, language, religion, religious ceremonies, governance, arts, craft, technology, etc. Every culture on the face of the earth is unique, and people react differently to the environment around them.

    Culture derives its significance from people’s belief, literature, customs, knowledge, values, and codes, among others.

    Tourism, on the other hand, is the travel for recreation, leisure, religions, family reunion, business purpose, etc., usually for a limited duration of time. It can also be viewed as an activity done by an individual or group of persons, which leads to a movement from one place to another. It could be a move from a country to another for the performance of a specific task, or a visit to the particular place/places for the purpose of entertainment, which leads to an awareness of other civilisations, and culture, thereby increasing the knowledge of countries, cultures and history for and by the tourist. Tourism is an art, science and business of attracting and serving visitors.

    Culture-tourism, therefore, is a combination of both culture and tourism. That is, what culture of a people/place can offer and the ability of tourisms to patronise the tourism product available. Cultural tourism relates to the visit by tourist to a place for the purpose of admiring the beauty of the available cultural resources and national heritage. It reflects the diversity and character of a nation, which calls for the need to conserve and maintain the value of the cultural heritage of that nation.

    Suffice it to say here that one of the principal gateways to achieve this laudable intention is the Museum. The museum is charged with the conservation, preservation and presentation of our cultural heritage-tangible and intangible.

    The conservation of cultural heritage by the museum creates access to the heritage of the people, giving rise to cultural tourism.

    In 2000, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) addressed the issue of culture and its relationship with tourism development, and extensively discussed the impact of tourism on the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage policies and guidelines for cultural tourism and development and its marketing techniques. Tourism is essentially a service industry, which yields an attractive form of economic development.

    Cultural heritage tourism is a tool of economic development that achieves economic growth through attracting visitors from outside a host community who are motivated wholly or in part by interest in the historical, artistic, scientific or lifestyle, heritage, offering of a community, religion, group or institution (Silberberg, 1995). Such travels are focused up on experiencing cultural environment, including landscape, the visual and the performing art, special lifestyle, value, tradition and events.

    Linking tourism with cultural heritage can do more for local economies than promoting them separately. The core ideas in cultural heritage tourism are “save your heritage and culture, share it with visitors, and reap the economic benefits of tourism”. The mission of the preservation community is to preserve and protect historic, cultural and natural resources. The cultural community is looking for ways to attract new audience.

    Tourism brings individuals/human communities into contact, and through them, cultures and civilisation has an important role to play in facilitating dialogue amongst cultures. It enables people to live better together and contributes to the construction of peace in the minds of those that co-exist together.

    Culture has been identified as the centre piece of a nation’s tourism, and cultural heritage is an attraction for tourism. The community is the incubators of culture, and culture the world over, controls human development.

    The greatest influence in human endeavour is culture, which is created by man that came together as a group to form community, nation, state, country, etc. The government should give due attention to culture and tourism; provide all needed machineries (fund, manpower, level playing ground, etc.) to develop the industry and place it within the key sectors of the economy. This will generate sustainable development of cultural tourism that will result to community empowerment, which eventually will minimise the poverty of the people, where too much rely upon the government is the major reason for the poverty state of its citizens.

    Cultural and natural heritage that attracts so much tourism is a resource for development. It provides opportunity for raising awareness, educating, training, and involves communities in the process of conserving and enhancing their heritage. It is the involvement of all that will enable the heritage of humanity to be better preserved, living condition to be improved and poverty reduced.

    Preserving cultural and natural heritage, in order to bring it within reach of all, making culture and civilisation better known, improving daily living condition and reducing poverty is what gives meaning to the sustainability of tourism development.

    Tourism is a powerful economic development tool that creates jobs, provides new business opportunities and strengthens local economies. Cultural heritage tourism can have tremendous economic impact on local economies etc. new businesses, job creation, higher property values, etc. It adds less tangible but equally important pay offs. A well-managed tourism programme improves the quality of life, as resident take advantage of services and attractions tourism adds. It promotes community pride, which grows as people work together to develop a thriving tourism industry.

    An area that develops its potentials for cultural heritage, tourism creates new opportunities for tourists to gain an understanding of an unfamiliar place or time. The influx of people/visitors comes with new opportunities for preservation and conservation and increase diversified economies, while holding on to the characteristics that make communities special.

    Tourism is widely recognised for its tangible outcomes (job creation, tax revenues) as well as its intangible outcome (quality of life). It may build upon a wide variety of attractions, including “agri-courism”, destination tourism, fairs events conferences, sports teams, recreation and more. Tourism is an important industry that depends on culture and science. It has a direct impact on national revenue as it creates work opportunities, industries and several investments to serve and raise a nation’s performance culture distributes its history, civilisation and tradition.

    The impact of cultural tourism cannot be over-emphasised as the world is fast becoming a global village and people the world over are interested and curious about discovering new places, culture and civilisation.

    The museum being one of the major catalyst within which cultural-tourism can flourish, is the custodian of the nation’s heritage potentials. The preservation, conservation and presentation of the nation’s cultural heritage by the museum creates access to the heritage of the people, which culminates to cultural tourism. Cultural tourism empowers the community and provides opportunity for the people to acquire skills and experience that transform their perceptions. For instance, instead of over depending on the government, people will become self-employed through craft production, works of art, serving tourists with local products, etc. Some are empowered to acquire apprenticeship on the production of arts/crafts which will yield better input and community services satisfaction.

    Nigeria, in its diversity, is blessed with abundant tourism sites and cultural attraction which are scattered across the 36 states of the federation. The proliferation of this cultural tourism has contributed immensely to the gross domestic product of the nation.

    People’s curiosity over discovering of new tourist sites has helped Nigeria, coupled with the festivals.

    An example of the New Yam festival in the East, Osun Osogbo grove in the Southwest, the colourful Carnival Calabar in the South and the colourful horse riding event known as Durbar in the north, particularly Kano and Katsina states have attracted millions of tourist thereby affecting the economy of Nigeria positively.

    Our hand crafts, which are aspects of our material culture like bronzes, leather works, shoes, bags, pottery are not left out. Such items are produced as sourvenirs to our tourists to take back to their various destinations making our crafts men and women reap back with profit their efforts. Not only these, our materials of global craft are being exported globally for both commercial and image making purposes. This has been able to gainfully employ and populace as well as portray our rich cultural heritage, the value of our local inhabitants, generating markets and investors.

    The economic fortunes attached to our hospitality industry cannot be easily qualified. The tourism industry yields its revenue through the foreign exchange earnings. The mass inflow, especially of international tourist, enhances exchange of foreign currencies.

    Expenditure takes place from the first entry point of the country, as well as other direct and indirect charges on goods and services. This in turn contributes directly or otherwise to the current account of the balance of payments, thus creating business turnover, increase in household income, employment and revenue generation. A portion of the revenue or money is re-spent within the destination economy, thereby further rounds or re-circling of economic activities is created.

    Cultural heritage, are great potential for tourism, if well-maintained, attracts visitors. They are preservation by the museum helps to maintain the appealing value of the historical or natural sites resulting in pleasurable visits, desirable again and again by the tourists, due to experiences which are worthwhile, satisfactory and enjoyable.

     

    • Ezinwanyi works with National Museum, Abuja.

  • Tourism: Lagos economy records N50b transactions

    For the second year in a row, the Lagos State economy received a major, unprecedented boost in the entertainment, hospitality and creative sectors in four weeks of the yuletide season, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Steve Ayorinde disclosedyesterday.

    Trends and reports monitored by the Lagos State Government over the four weeks in December, especially during Christmas and New Year festivities, captured an estimated spending well above N50bn in cash transactions, a record slightly higher than December 2017 which also recorded a good run in travel, entertainment and leisure-related spendings.

    The monitored reports attributed the positive trend to the peak in entertainment activities; huge influx of people from neighbouring states, neighbouring countries and holiday makers from abroad who either chose Lagos as their primary destination or transit to other parts of Nigeria last December.

    In a press statement he signed, Ayorinde said various reports, statistics and analyses monitored across immigration office, banks, aviation, hospitality and leisure parks; food, beverage and distribution businesses as well as event venues, shopping malls and cinema box office earnings captured an estimated direct spendings of over N50bn within the entertainment and tourism sector in Lagos State alone.

    “Like in 2017, last December in Lagos was hugely creative economy- friendly, which again affirms the State’s preeminence not just as West Africa’s commercial hub but also its entertainment nerve-centre,” Ayorinde said, adding that the beauty of this assertion is that the surge in the creative enterprise over the yuletide period was felt by all and sundry; was statistically measurable and is now a subject of discussion among analysis.

    The Commissioner said there was a slight correlation between the horrific gridlock in some parts of Lagos during the yuletide season and the huge trading by residents and visitors leading to seasonal job provision and economic gains.

    According to him, the high volume of economic activity that were directly related to tourism-related visits, entertainment and leisure accounted for a significant chunk of the total value of transactions in the State of 21million residents whose estimated GDP of $136bn in 2018 is regarded as the fifth largest in Africa, after Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Algeria.

     

  • Obasanjo talks tourism

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stressed the need to explore Nigeria’s huge tourism potentials as a way to boost the country’s revenue and grow its economy.

    Obasanjo was speaking in Sokoto, seat of the caliphate, at the inauguration of the multi-million naira International Conference Centre completed by the administration of Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

    The former President noted that there were competing demands and requirements in terms of infrastructure and social amenities, but also pointed out that in many parts of the world, conference tourism is a major source of revenue.

    Obasanjo said, “There is no reason why it should not thrive in Sokoto and Nigeria as an important tool of sustaining the economy.”

    He described Sokoto as a historic hub with uniqueness and speciality.

    “No one can dispute this landmark fact. You have what will attract tourists to Sokoto for learning and understanding its uniqueness as a caliphate,” he said.

    The former president who was in Sokoto on a two-day visit to Chair the ‘Zero Hunger Strategic Forum’ initiative, further commended Governor Tambuwal for his foresight and commitment to actualising the befitting project and ancillary facilities for local, national, African and International tourists to benefit from.

    Obasanjo was expected to visit and inspect no fewer than five other projects and project sites aross the state.

    Governor Tambuwal said the project was 100% executed by his administration while recalling that it was contracted out by the immediate past administration without mobilising the contractor.

     

  • ‘Culture, tourism central to Rivers’ growth’

    This year’s National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) ended in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, penultimate Saturday. Its underpinning message and impact on the host state are shared by Governor Nyesom Wike in this interview with reporters. He speaks on why he requested to host the festival, how politics has failed us as a nation, and how sports and culture remain the only unifying factors. Assistant Editor Arts OZOLUA UHAKHEME was there.

    This year’s NAFEST was held successfully in five big centres across the state capital. What are your plans to transform the abundant resources of Rivers State into a thriving tourism economy?

    Rivers State is actually endowed and that is why I have said to the Commissioner of Tourism that every year, we must have cultural activity to showcase the cultural and tourism potentials of the state. You went to Jim Rex Lawson Cultural Centre, mention one state that has such a facility. We have a partnership with most of the artistes to come and showcase their trade from time to time.

    And if you have gone to Pleasure Park you would have known what is available in this state, which was done by this administration. To me, culture and tourism are keys to development. Everything must not be politics because politics has failed us in terms of unification as a country. The only unifying factors today are sports and culture. So, I have no apology because if I have my way, I will continue to host this festival because when you know your potentials, you have to let the world know about them. If I have potentials and I don’t let the world know about them, then I have a problem.

    Anything that I have to do to promote my state I will do it. So, one will have to do what is necessary to promote culture and tourism in Rivers State and that is what I will continue to do.

    How do you tell the new narrative about the state, considering negative perceptions by people outside the state?

    Let me sincerely thank you. But, when you say a new narrative, luckily you have stayed here for one week and you have seen for yourself. So, you should tell the world that such perception is not correct.

    I was here and I saw it myself. All these stories that they are spreading are not correct. That is why I requested the Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) to give us the opportunity to host the NAFEST 2018. Probably, if this event was not hosted here, you may not have had the opportunity to come here. But this event has given you the opportunity to be here and see things for yourself.

    Therefore, what you used to hear, is it correct or is it the truth? Now, you have come and have now become the ambassador of truth to tell people that the negative perception is not correct.

    There is no new narrative that we can give other than you have come and you have seen for yourself that it is not correct. So, you now go back and give the narrative that it is not correct.

    For one week, was anybody kidnapped? Was there any armed robbery attack? Or was there anyone who lost anything or whatever? The People’s Democratic People (PDP) had its national convention here. Over 7, 000 delegates were here and there was no ugly incident that happened.

    I have hosted international events and no one incident has ever happened here, and I hosted the President some days ago when he came to commission the terminal of Port Harcourt International Airport.

    I told Mr. President that if Port Harcourt was not safe, if Port Harcourt was not secured, the company could not have completed the job started by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    So, why do we play politics with everything? Why do we have to de-market our country and our state? The new narrative is for you to go back home and say that this NAFEST has shown us that all these stories that we have been hearing are not correct. They are all political games and must we play politics with everything? Should we continue to bring Nigeria down because of politics? So, I have to thank him for bringing this event down to Port Harcourt.

    And that is what has given most of you the firsthand information that what you used to hear is totally not correct. So, for me, I am happy that you will now go home and tell people or rewrite what you used to write there and say, look this is not the true position of things.

    What plans have you to make Port Harcourt the Dubai of Nigeria?

    No tourist will come here without the Federal Government’s approval by giving visa. Today, we have lost so many investors because the government believes that River States is in opposition.

    And that is not supposed to be because whether you like it or not, if investors come in to develop tourism, the Federal Government will get revenue from it.  But, that is not the case here. The truth of the matter is that everything is done to frustrate us. We produce the wealth of Nigeria, but nobody supports us and that is why you hear cries for restructuring.

    Yes, I have the mind that tourism should grow, but I also have a limitation, a restriction that is dependent on the government in power at the center. If you have a government that is hostile to the state government, how can you achieve it? You can’t achieve it. And that is not what is supposed to be.

    So, having the mind or having the idea is different from you actualising it because of the hostile nature of the government at the Federal level. We must be able to tell ourselves the simple truth. The Federal government does not like my state. In fact, I am surprised that this event was held here, because I never believed that the Federal Government would allow the event to take place.

    That is why I thanked Otunba Runsewe so much for the efforts he put into organising the festival. Rivers State government signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to host matches here. But people said why is it that it is Rivers State that is hosting international matches and they took it away, even when we have paid. That is the Nigeria we are. Nobody wants to do the right thing. But unfortunately, politics has taken the centre stage in everything that we are doing. God will help us.

    What are your views on the non-inclusion of culture in school curriculum?

    How can we have a curriculum without integrating our culture? How does any society grow without history? For me, the policy of education in our country is anchored on the Federal Government.

    How can I have a child who doesn’t know the culture of his people? Culture is part of development, culture is part of growth. But, yet we allow our children to imbibe foreign culture. I think that our culture should be embedded in the educational curriculum, because if we don’t do that, we have killed the culture of this country. It is compulsory that our children should know what the culture of the various people of Nigeria is and it helps.