Travel Agencies wants FG to create Ministry of Tourism

TOURISM-NIGERIA

The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) has advocated creation of Federal Ministry of Tourism as Nigeria join others to mark the 2017 International Tourism Day.

NANTA President Bernard Bankole told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that a separate ministry would fast-track the development of the sector.

“Federal Government should create a stand-alone ministry for tourism so that all attentions and efforts will be concentrated on how to build tourism to generate revenue for the government and employment for Nigerians.

“Putting tourism alongside with others like information and National Orientation is going to frustrate the growth of tourism.

“Every where in the world, tourism is a big portfolio that even people struggle to get appointment as Minister of Tourism because they know the value of the sector,” he said.

Bankole also advised government to incorporate the private sector into the business of tourism, adding that tourism should be private sector driven.

“So, government should hands off the core business of tourism. They can regulate it.

“Regulation should be the beat of the government, while real business of tourism should be handled by the private sector.

“However, the private sector can be anchored through the various tourism associations that understand this business,’’ Bankole said.

He further said that government should start paying attention to the provision of infrastructure to facilitate the influx of tourists from around the world into the country.

According to him, an individual can use his or her mobile phone to buy a train ticket in Kenya to move from Nairobi to Mombasa.

“In Nigeria, we have spent a lot of money on these standard gauge rail systems and it is not working.

Related News

“If we have a good rail service from Lagos to Ibadan alone, government will be making so much revenue.

“It will also enhance development and provide employment for our people, but we are not seeing all that.

“All our roads are getting spoilt by trailers, but with the effective operation of rail transport, all those will reduce because the train will be able to carry all that the trailers were carrying.

“So, government needs to invest in all these other sectors that will make tourism thrive; road, waterway and air transport. Once they can get it right, our tourism will grow,’’ Bankole said.

READ: Cross River festival will promote tourism and culture – Commissioner

He expressed regrets that after the much celebrated tourism stakeholders meeting in 2016, everybody had gone to sleep, nothing had happened.

“The government needs to be proactive and also allow private sector to drive the sector to an enviable height.’’

NAN reports that World Tourism Day is celebrated annually on Sept. 27.

World Tourism Day 2017 presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the contribution of sustainable tourism to development among public and private sector decision-makers and the international community.

The theme for the 2017 celebration is “Sustainable Tourism: A tool for Development’’ which encourage mobilisation of all stakeholders to work together in making tourism a catalyst for positive change.

The official celebration is being held in Doha, Qatar as earlier decided by the United Nation World Tourism Organisation’s General Assembly.

The event will be structured around two sessions, focused on ‘Tourism as a driver of economic growth’, and ‘Tourism and the Planet: committed to a greener future’.

Load more