Tourist site: Why Tinapa enjoys global attraction

Tinapa, Africa’s premier business and leisure resort, is unique in Nigeria and can compete favourably with international tourist destinations around the world.

Indeed, Tinapa’s rich infrastructure, flora and fauna, wild life and serenity, among other distinguished features, continue to lure thousands of visitors, local and foreign, to the area.

Also, it has also continually been a robust revenue earner for the Cross River State Government.

Analysts have said Tinapa is kind in Nigeria, and indeed Africa, just as it is modeled after similar centres in Hongkong, Singapore, Dubai, Bombay, Taiwan and Bangkok.

Nigeria prides itself as home to 23 species of primates; 18 are found in the Cross River National Park, the Cross River Gorilla and the Chimpanzee; however, the fauna of the park is wonderful.

Interestingly, the Cross River gorilla colony is the only one in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For those crazy about gorillas, Nigeria is the best destination; and the tracking of the species goes on all year round. The Nigerian government, in collaboration with its Camerounian counterpart, havebeen assiduously working to ensure the protection and survival of the endangered species.

At the park also, two new species of butterfly have surfaced: They are, Tetrahanis okwangwo and Thermoniphasbarahingam.

Also, listed among the mammalian species endemic to the park are, Chevrotain, giant pangolin, the golden potto or Calabarangwantibo and preuss’ guenon. The “ecostars” to behold at are the once considered extinct, but resurfaced bird.

In deed, for visitors to the park to have access to all the fore-going endowments, a stipend ideally should be charged at each section, so, revenue would accrue to the promoters and of course taxes paid to the government. But the story, we learnt, has been different, as only the visitor facilities and conference spaces have remained major income spinners.

There is the Butatong Base camp in Okwangwo, which is furnished with an arboretum, picnic garden lodges and network of nature trails.

Akamkpa, a modesty furnished four-bedroom guest house, is another visitor facility. Also available, is a 20-bed space hostel for students and low budget visitors.

“Development of the Kanyang Tourist Village, it is believed, would lead to an explosion of eco-tourism not only in the park, but Cross River state in general.

The adventure in the untapped goldmine would enhance the exploitation of the eco-tourism, resources of the Mbe Gorilla mountains, the AfikMountain Wildlife sanctuary, the pandrilus primates conservation project, buanchor and the ObuduMountain Resort, as well as, TINAPA.

Although, the best period of the year for visiting the Cross River Park is November through May”, a statement credited to the Head Office stated.

But the giant strides in advancing tourism in Nigeria, would take hold and translate into naira and kobo only when there is a synergy between the states’ tourism departments, agencies and corporate interest; and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture,Department of Culture, among others, the major authorities in charge of the sector, led by the Minister, Alhaji Lai Muhammed.

While the current administration of President Muhamadu Buhari has rolled out its laudable tourism agenda, it behooves on the authorities to help set international standards in terms of facilities and features, create the right markets, and then intensify the much-needed awareness to cajole Nigerians into developing a large appetite for home tourism.

That way, observers say, the capital flight via overseas tourism, which currently impacts negatively ion the nation’s economy, would be arrested and give the home market value added input to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP.