THE Nigeria tourismIndustry after the collapse of the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) instituted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to give the sector a national voice has dramatically become an orphan in a country blessed with multifaceted tourism potential yet to be explored.
Even when tourism has been seen and christened by the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari as a low hanging fruit to change the economic story of Nigeria as an alternative to the dwindling value of oil in the global market, there is no follow up mechanism to making the Federal Government intention translate into action.
Though, there are efforts and promises by the Minister of information, Culture andTourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, which have made headlines in the national dailies on plans to inject life into the tourismIndustry viz-a-viz series of international tourism events and conference attended, yet fingers are still kept crossed on practical implementation of the minister’s promises.
Some of the promises listed include review of the Tourism Master Plan to fit the present day situation and trend of Tourism in Nigeria, partnering with UNWTO to host 64th African tourism Ministers meeting in Nigeria in 2018 among others.
The government, though not the major driver of the tourism sector, as a national authority still has a pivotal role that can make or mar the development of the tourismIndustry when it comes to right policy formulation, strategic product development and supportive marketing of the sector potentialities.
However, even when the private sector invests all as the drivers of the sector, without the right policies in place to create enabling environment for them to operate, there will not be a head way.
However, tourism in 2017 did not see much success in the side of the Federal Government but the private sector was on top of its game.
The tourismIndustry and its paratastal agencies were in coma in terms of activities and incentives to stimulate attractive events. Even when their monthly allocations were frequent, there were nothing visible to vividly attribute to the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture which tucked in or rather swallowed the Ministry of Culture andTourism.
The silencing of the ministry of tourism by tucking it into the Ministry of Information and Culture was perceived by stakeholders as a bad omen and a sign of abject negligence and ignorance on the part of the Federal Government that included tourism as a priority sector of the economy.
NATOP renewed effort for domestic tourism
The National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), one of the core drivers of the tourism sector domestically, took a new turn in product identification, development and packaging through the opening of newer services and destination vistas in Nigeria.
This initiative which was jumpstarted few years ago has been able to create awareness about the domestic relevance of tourism, its importance to the economic growth of the people and country.
The first NATOP AGM came up in Calabar, Cross-River State, with a straight cut theme and projection to promote domestic tourism with notable policy makers and economists charting a new way for tourism for sustainable tourism in Nigeria.
The second outing which was in Lagos was a far departure from the first because of its content build up which engaged youths in a tourism discuss, a forum which attracted the core stakeholders in public and private sector in Nigeria.
It also used the platform to explore the domestic tourism potential abound in Lagos viz-a-viz discovering new products and holiday packages within.
Youth tourism movement
With much encouragement from core stakeholders to build a sustainable platform for new a breed of tourism promoters to excel, a sizeable number of youth tourism promoters came up with vibrant proposition on the way forward for Nigeria tourismIndustry.
The energy injected into the promotion bid was so massive, holistic and motivating that Lai Mohammed also promised at the NATOP conference in Lagos to invite the youth panelists to Abuja but that gesture never saw the light of the day.
2017 new trend
The 2017 tourism year was remarkable with different tourism trend introduced by the private sector to boost promotion, marketing and tourists arrivals to domestic destination.
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) took a leading role in 2017, with organisers of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Bantaba, Accra Weizo introducing a MICE and Hotel show in Abuja tagged JABAMAH. This MICE show did not only open new vista of opportunities for stakeholders, but also educated participants on the latest trend of sustaining the travel and tour business through experience.
The organisers of JABAMAH, who used the Abuja event to organise an experience tour of Kaduna famous Kajuru Castle, also thrilled participants to return train tour of Abuja-Kaduna-Abuja.
Also Luxury Lifestyle Summit put together by the The Luxury Reporter and Topcom opened a new vista of opportunities for the shopping and luxury market for stakeholders to meet and discuss trends in the sector.
NCAC magic wand
The coming of Otunba Segun Runsewe as the new Director-General of National Council for Arts and Culture, in the second quarter of 2017, upped the game of the whole ministry, bringing new life to the way things were being done that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed christened him a brave and fearless hunter (ogboju ode) when he signed a N300 million MoU with Bank of Industry to act as a catalyst for the development of the country’s rich craft industries and also to create a financial window and make available loanable funds to be accessible to stakeholders for capacity building.
Known for his enigmatic nature when it comes to practical promotion and activation of viable job creation avenue, Runsewe made a model from the hosting of his first AFAC and NAFEST with an astonishing crowd that thronged the events venues (Abuja and Kaduna) from within and outside Nigeria.
For the AFAC and NAFEST, Runsewe was able to create an avenue for capacity building where over 700 participants were trained on different skilled acquisition programme to be self reliant and employers of labour.
and then