As global economies gradually emerge from the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, stakeholders in the tourism sector in Nigeria are unanimous in their call for the establishment of a legal framework for the tourism sector and the creation of a dedicated ministry for Tourism which should be managed by tourism professionals to boost the revenue diversification drive of the government.
These were some of the recommendations contained in a communique issued by the stakeholders at the end of an online tourism meeting, with the theme: “Post-COVID-19: A Fresh Start for Tourism in Nigeria,” which was organised by the Nigeria Travel Week and Travelscope Magazine.
The stakeholders also called for steps to be taken to start the chronological implementation of the Nigeria Tourism Masterplan while a special tourism fund which should be created for the peculiar needs of the tourism industry and domiciled in the Development Bank of Nigeria.
Also, they canvassed that tour operators should communicate their domestic tour packages to travel agents to enable them to sell destination Nigeria to Nigerians while introducing special pricing incentives for Nigerians just like other countries where you have different rates for locals and foreigners
Speaking further, they reiterated the need to add value to Nigeria’s tourism assets including cultural festivals, ecotourism, and historical attractions to start earning revenue. This they said could be possible when all sectors of the tourism industry begin to be retrospective about their strategies for collaboration with other sectors to promote domestic tourism.
They also called on federal and state governments to embark on massive sensitization and marketing drives to create awareness about domestic tourism and change the false perception of Nigeria as an unsafe destination.
Policymakers were also charged to always carry tourism stakeholders along with new plans and policies of government to capture the ground realities and accelerate the growth of the industry.
Nigerians in the diaspora were also called on to promote and drive tourism including key festivals and historical tourist sites.
It will be recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on practically all industries worldwide. However, the tourism And travel industry undeniably has experienced the most damaging impact these past months due to the inability of people to move from one place to another because of travel restrictions and bans, cancellations of events and festivals, and the apathy to travel due to health concerns and compulsory health restrictions in several countries.
As such, it becomes imperative to start to think about life after COVID-19, and perhaps even immediately after the lifting of initial restrictions.
The meeting was therefore aimed at sharing ideas on fostering collaboration between the 5 sectors of tourism and growing domestic tourism in Nigeria. The meeting was hosted by Omololu Olumuyiwa, President, Association of Nigerian Journalists & Writers of Tourism (ANJET), and Efetobo Awhana, CEO of Nigeria Travel Week. Panelists from the different sectors include Atunyota Akpobome (Alibaba), Brian Efa, GM, Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Hassan Zakari Lagos Rep, Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria, ATPN, Susan Akporiaye, President, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, NANTA, and Wale Ojo-Lanre, DG, Ekiti State Council of Arts & Culture.
There were over a hundred participants at the meeting drawn from across the tourism sector which included Folorunsho Coker, DG, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Capt Toritseju Ogisi, Former Director of Flight Operations, Nigeria Airways, Alhaji Saleh Rabo, President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and Abiola Ogunbiyi, Chairman, Lagos State Traditional Sports Council amongst others.
