NTDC, airline operators, plans to synergize with #MyAbujaWeekend project
As part of its efforts to boost domestic tourism in Nigeria and encourage Nigerians to take their holiday or weekend breaks within the country, the director general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mr. Folorunsho Coker, has expressed his readiness to form a strong synergy with Airline Operators of Nigeria to ensure development and promotion of the local tourism industry.
Coker said this while receiving the chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Mr. Nogie Meggison, who paid him a courtesy call at the tourism corporate headquarters in Abuja recently.
He stressed that affordable air travel is key and indispensable in building the tourism industry while reiterating his commitment to promoting the domestic tourism in Nigeria by exploring packaged tours and digital technology to drive the consumption of the tourism assets in the country.
“This is why NTDC finds it important to establish a strategic partnership with Airline Operators of Nigeria to create affordable air fares in order to boost domestic tourism. We seek discounted weekend airline tickets to Abuja to propel the success of ‘#MyAbujaWeekend’ Project, further encouraging the travel businesses and promote hospitality and tourism services in capital city of Nigeria”, he said.
While speaking on how to drive domestic tourism, the NTDC boss said the key component to tourism which according to him are travel, accommodation and entertainment/hospitality would be explored with the airlines, hotels, car hire services, tour operators and others to bring out affordable package tours to encourage Nigeria to tour Nigeria.
The NTDC Boss who called for a conscious investmentin the promotion of domestic tourism appealed to everyone in the value chain of tourism, state and local governments and the private sector to work together and be ready to drive the market with a new brand TOUR NIGERIA.
Reaponding, at a courtesy visit to the NTDC boss Meggison, expressed the readiness of the association to partner with NTDC to ensure aggressive promotion of tourism in Nigeria, thereby making Nigeria the cheapest holiday destination for Nigerians initially.
In his words; “The practice everywhere in the world is the Airlines being the front burner in driving Tourism and Nigeria would not be an exception. We are ready towork with you in driving the Nigerian Tourism Industry forward”, he said.
