NTDC Boss Reiterates Commitment To Stakeholders, Professional Bodies, Others

Acting Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Mariel Rae-Omoh has promised to work with professional bodies, associations and stakeholders to move the industry forward.

Rae-Omoh made the pledge when the Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN) paid her a courtesy visit in her office, in Abuja recently.

Describing the stakeholders and private sector as the main drivers ofthe industry, Rae-Omoh said, “I’ll build a strong alliance with the stakeholders and professional bodies in the industry to move it forward.”

She also promised to boost the socio-economic activities and developmentof minority ethnic groups through promotion of untapped tourism potentials in Nigeria.

Rae-Omoh added: “Tourism is an important instrument for poverty reduction, economic growth, biodiversity conservation, employment creation, community empowerment, grassroots development and revenue generation. In line with this, NTDC as the apex tourism policy implementation agency under my administration will effectively carry out its mandate with the support of the Public-Private Partnership and staff of the Corporation.”

Earlier in his speech, HATMAN President, Mr Badaki Aliyu, congratulated the Acting DG on her appointment, describing her as a professional who understands the language of the industry and is willing to drive the industry for development and productivity.

Aliyu said the main objective of HATMAN is to entrench professionalism inthe hospitality and tourism industries, which according to him, the association will achieve through training.

While expressing the willingness of the association to collaborate with NTDC to ensure that the industry moves forward, Aliyu prayed that God should give her the wisdom to sail the ship of the industry and confirm her appointment to as Director General, NTDC.

In his company for the courtesy visit were Dennis Orjime, Member (HATMAN); Amos Opoola, FCT Chairman; Lantana BakoNnaji, Member (HATMAN); Charles OlufemiFolayan, National Publicity Secretary; S. O. Onyeabo, rep, Kogi State ; Abioye Adedipe, Welfare officer and Samson Aturu, Ex-Official.

Why We’re transforming Dubai to Global Tourism hub – DTCM

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said it will continue to position Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub so as to increase Dubai awareness to the global audiences.

According to DTCM, the one-day event entitled “Dubai Roadshow” held at Federal Palace Hotels and Casinos, Lagos recently was aimed at strengthening the relationships with key industry stakeholders.

The event, it stated is with the collaboration of 11 selected Dubai’s companies including Emirates Airline, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai College of Tourism and Hyatt Regency. Other partners are: Nikki Beach, Grand Hyatt, Dubai Parks and Resorts, North Tours LLC, Red Apple Travel Group, Prime Healthcare Group LLC amongst others.

Commenting, Regional Director Africa for Dubai Tourism, Stella Obinwa pointed out that “DTCM realised the need to embark on a road show to provide our trade with education with new products with relationship and to show that Dubai is interesting in Nigeria. We did it last year based on the response we got from our travel trade as well as Dubai companies. We realised that this is something we need to do every year.”

Speaking further, Obinwa added “this year is the first time we include the hospital. We also have Dubai Chamber of Commerce and most importantly is that we have included Dubai College here to launch the certification programme and this certification program would enable me to identify the different travel agencies that are involved in selling Dubai.”

Although, Obinwa identified power outage as a major challenge in the country, she however, expressed satisfaction with the level of attendance and interactions between the participating stakeholders from Dubai and their Nigerian counterparts.

“Really Nigeria has challenges in exchange and recession; in spite of that, they still travel in thousands to Dubai. So we really admire the resilience and that is why we are having engagement with them.”

On visa issues, she said “there are no challenges with visa. Everybody comply with the rules and regulations. If you don’t meet the rules and regulations so you don’t travel.”

Obinwa who wondered why Nigerians feel they should get previleges and wavers said “If a country says they want to see your bank statements, let them see your bank statements which means you are justified to be in that country.”
She said that Nigerians needed to be realistic, just as they do the same to other citizens.

“The people who came here, they went through three weeks of blood to get visa to come to Nigeria. So Nigeria’s has to be realistic and fair, Obinwa noted.

“Last year we saw a lot of things in Dubai. They have not exhausted what they have, which is why we brought them here so we can expose those things that had been there, that they had never taken part in. Global village had been there for years. So there are some things that are in Dubai that they have been enjoying that nobody knew about”, she said.

Emphasising more on their interest in Nigeria, Obinwa said that Dubai prefers Nigerians to other Africans as guests because they spend more money when they come to Dubai.

She however, noted that it takes fifty Ghanaians to match with what a Nigerian spends in Dubai.