NATOP moves to empower young tour operators

Following an emerging phenomenon whereby Nigerian Youths take advantage of social media to drive domestic travels, the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators, NATOP has decided to host the leading Youth Operators to a workshop and discussion session as a way of mainstreaming these young operators.

The young Tourism Promoters are drawn from Lagos, Ibadan, Uyo and Enugu and would be joined by other emerging Tour Operators from all over Nigeria. They will be discussing “The Challenges of Promoting Tourism by the Nigerian Youth.

According to NATOP, a lot of young Tour Operators are promoting Domestic Tours all over the Country and need to be encouraged.

As a way of encouraging the entrepreneurs, the President of NATOP, Nkereuwem Onung pointed out that these young ones are the future of Tourism in Nigeria and we need to support and harness them for the sake of the nation.

“These young ones are the future of tourism in the country and we as professionals need to support and harness them for the sake of the nation” Onung who is also the CEO of Remlords Tours said

The panelists will Include Wale Olapade a tourism journalist from Tribune, Chiamaka Obuekwe of Social Prefect tours, Pelu Awofeso of Travel Next door, Sam Adeleke of Afrotourism,Allen Effeh of Ibom Tourism, John Paul Ezeani from Enugu, the Oguntoye Twins from Ibadan and Omotosho Olamilekan. The NATOP AGM will be graced by the Former Executive Governor of Cross River State Senator Liyel Imoke who will be the Guest speaker at 2017 Annual General Meeting.

NATOP is the Umbrella body for Tour Operators in Nigeria. It is a socialized organisation made up of the leading Travel specialists in Nigeria. The Theme for the 2017 edition which will hold on the 2nd of May at Renaissance Hotel Ikeja is “Positioning Tourism within the Nigerian Economic space”.

Last year at its AGM held in Calabar with the Theme “Tourism the Low hanging Fruit in a Depressed economy” with Professor Pat Utomi as Guest Speaker it released a 10 point agenda for Tourism in Nigeria which has become the talking point in Nigeria since then.

NATOP also called for the creation of a stand-alone Tourism ministry which is yet to receive attention from The Government.

Meanwhile, NATOP was the only Tourism association to host a World Tourism Day event last year on September 27th. At the Event, the body pointed out that government seems to lack the political will to push tourism to its height. This drew an instant response from the Minister of Information and Culture, ALhaji Lai Mohammed who responded that the government has the necessary will to move tourism forward.