FG moves to enhance cultural, tourism agenda
The Federal Government is planning to set up a committee to drive its culture and tourism agenda.
Minister of culture and tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the hint at a discussion at the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators, (NATOP) AGM with theme: Positioning Tourism within the Nigerian Economic space, held recently at Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to him, the ministry hopes of striking relationship with UNWTO and CNN aimed at using film industry to promote tourism, and the best example is Nollywood, which has no doubt makes a huge impact on tourism.
”He noted that Nigeria has been identified as a very rich tourism destination, stressing that” we are laying the strong foundation to make it a viable destination, not just a potentially viable destination.
He stated that the current administration has the political will to promote and grow tourism, emphasizing that tourism is the only oil that never dries up, just he also noted that a number of policy changes are being implemented to achieve positive result.
The minister observed that the efforts of NAPTOP around the country has been of enormous benefit in trying to improve the tourism outlook, equally noted that added value is when the tour operators combined with the ministry, gargantuan problem may not seem so daunting.
In your last AGM in Calabar, you had issued a 10 point agenda. As a listening government, we have started working on all good ideas proffered by experts because we believe that tourism is really the low hanging fruit in Nigeria, he added.
Speaking from the keynote address, title, The Building Blocks of Tourism Products, The former Governor of Cross River State, said: “Tourism in Nigeria remains inadequately regulated.”
He posited, government has no business in tourism, expressing, they should provide thriving environment for tourism.
According to Senator Imoke ” Cross River festival started when the group of young men saw the need to drive the state with tourism and began a discussion, and that discussion metamorphosed into what we know as Calabar Carnival.
He pointed out the Cross River Tourism success story and challenges in building the Carnival to its present level, including government policies like Customs, Immigration, roads and other things, urging, the state has gotten the Carnival to the level that no governor can reverse it.
On the flip side: The Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC, Mr. Folorunsho Folarin Coker noted, “It will be wrong for me having come within tourism in Lagos state, knowing that there is a court case, for me to comment on that, though I do not work for the state government any more, but is still wrong for me with the knowledge I have to comment on that. Religious tourism means that somebody has a feeling, somebody has a passion to go to a particular location to pray, I go to Saudi Arabia, I go and pray there, I don’t think it is some thing you can uproot and take to some where else. Nigeria has a huge market that is religious base, is just that we need to encourage more people to come and stay here longer and have a deeper religious experience within our territory than the nuances of moving here or there, those are petty things in the name of religion, can they move Jerusalem elsewhere“.
The NTDC boss explained that what they did in Lagos was to use the new channels of music, fashion, food, general entertainment and hospitality to actually drive tourism.
Commenting on domestic tourism, the NTDC boss explained that: “If you look at the assets that we already have, we have to make the best out of what we have, we have our airlines but we don’t have our national carrier, but have our internal airlines, so let us make the best of it, let us ask them to speak with each other, the airlines, the hotels, hospitality and entertainment owners, speak to your selves.
Incidentally, the regional manager, South African Tourism, Hloni Pisto noted, the South Africa Tourism believes in collaboration, co-operation and beneficial competition in its relations with other countries.
The president of the Nigerian Tour Operators, Mr. Onung Nkereuwem commended the federal government through the ministry of information and culture for so far attempting to delve into several issues that the body raised in its last AGM, meanwhile, Onung described Governor Akinwumi Ambode as the tourism governor of the moment.
He noted that Lagos State has invested and still investing in tourism infrastructure that will make domestic tourism a delight if well articulate, stressing the need for closer collaboration between the private sector practitioners and the government.
NATOP boss maintained that “It is important to reiterate our mandate of promoting domestic tourism which is what propels inbound tourism.
Speaking also on a more tourism viable chain between the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, NANTA, NTDC and other tourism and travel bodies, the President of NANTA Mr. Bankole Bernard said: “For us in NANTA, we have had a meeting with the DG and one of the things we have done is to breakdown the wall between NTDC and the trade associations like NANTA. To us we recognise NTDC as a corporate member of NANTA just to make sure there is seamless relationship and engagements, so every event of NANTA or these trade associations, we have informed the DG that he has to partake in them because all the trade associations belongs to him and he belongs to us and what has been happening in the past is the distance we have created or the wall that has separated us is what has created the vacuum and has made tourism to suffer all this while, but all that has been eliminated now and with the great support we are getting from the minister, I think we are all in for a good time.”
Other side attractions at the event were inauguration of committee of experts on culture and tourism, youth session and admission of new members, presentation of certificate to some practitioners amongst others.
