NIGERIAN Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and the Technical Mission on United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will collaborate on the establishment of tourism statistics and tourist account.
The Technical Mission on UNWTO, led by David McEwen, made this known during a visit to the NTDC Director-General, Mr. Folorunsho Coker, at the corporation’s headquarters.
Coker said the interest rate on funds for tourism development and promotion should be single digit. His words: “Tourism business cannot thrive with double digit interest rate.”
He reiterated his road map for tourism, a five-point action plan – Corporate Governance & Regulations, Human Capital Development, Infrastructural Development, Events and Marketing, and Finance & Investment (CHIEF) – to promote and develop the industry by encouraging domestic tourism and ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Coker, who described cottage industry as the bedrock of tourism development, underscored the importance of corporate governance and regulations reviews.
“The new NTDC law has been passed by the Senate, now awaiting concurrence. When finally concurred, it will allow NTDC to treat tourism as business, do joint ventures (Public-Private Partnership), while also enabling the Corporation to behave in a manner like the Tourism Board of Kenya, Gambia and any country that depends on tourism, thereby allowing us to generate good revenue for government and create wealth for the people.
“The corporate governance and regulations that need to be changed are not just at the Federal Government alone. We also need to look at state as well as the local government tourism law, and it must also be passed to the private sector,” he added.
He stressed the need for improved human capital development, which according to him, will speed up the development and promotion of tourism in the country. He added: “Human capital development is not limited to the public sector, but it should also be well taken care of in the private sector.”
He noted that the marketing of the tourism events, potentials and assets must be digital.
McEwen, who commended the efforts of the Coker-led administration at promoting domestic tourism, said the group was ready to collaborate with NTDC on the establishment of tourism statistics and tourism account.
He, however, noted that though measuring domestic tourism is quite challenging, his committee would come up with machinery that would ensure a considerably perfect measurement of domestic tourism traffic in the country.
Meanwhile, the paramount ruler of Butura, SafButura John Mallo Makwal, has also sought collaboration with the NTDC on the packaging and promotion of NAHWAI Festival for national and international acceptance.
Makwal who led the Traditional Council from the Ron-Kulere Chiefdom in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State on a courtesy call on the Director-General of the NTDC, said: “Apart from the cultural festival, we are ambitious to grow other aspect of tourism infrastructure like accommodation and entertainment, but they are expensive. In this regard, in my capacity as the traditional ruler and my council, we humbly request the Director-General to take over one of our monuments – the TASH bridge.”
The bridge, according to him, is a colonial cultural heritage, which is even being considered for listing as one of the UNESCO heritage sites.
Coker disclosed his intention to hold a central region festival that will attract the tourists to the North Central of the country. He described Plateau State as tourism-friendly, saying the state is blessed with good tourism assets, which abounds in natural scenic vistas, beautiful sceneries, rich in cultural, historical and with an excellent weather condition.
He enjoined the people of Plateau to give tourism a voice, noting that tourism must be treated as serious business if it would thrive in the country, adding that ‘Tourism is the business of transportation, hospitality and entertainment that consume the products of arts and culture.’
Coker, who also made case for good titles for the traditional destinations, noted that the titles could be used to raise funds for the development of the sites, while suggesting development of clusters around the sites to stimulate productivity and commerce, which according to him, would propel revenue generation.
The NTDC boss, however, said insecurity is not peculiar to Nigeria, “hence it should not deter us from promoting tourism, and wooing foreign tourists to the country.”
Pledging that he would do all within his capacity to re-direct the sector and bring our hidden juice that will not only benefit the country, but also positively impact the lives of citizens, the DG said his already launched five-letter word action plan – CHIEF – would help him realise his goal.
