NIGERIAN Tourism Development Corporation in collaboration with Jumia Travel, an online travel agency providing online hotel reservation across the African continent, has trained the Corporation’s staff on digital hotel and flight bookings.
City Manager of Jumia Travel (Abuja), Opeyemi Alabi, who emphasized the imports of the training explained that “It would enable the staff to better sell Nigeria to the world, thereby increasing inbound tourism in the country and boosting the nation’s GDP.”
Alabi described the Nigerian tourism industry as a growing one with a bright future, “As Nigerians, on a daily basis, get better sensitization on the importance of tourism.”
The partnership and training are parts of the indices of the NTDC Director-General, Mr. Folorunsho Coker’s agenda to drive domestic tourism promotion in the country with digital technology.
Coker, earlier in his remarks, reiterated that digital technology is globally employed to drive tourism, which according to him, necessitated the need for the staff of the Corporation to possess the needful technological knowledge and skills to drive the development of Nigeria’s tourism industry.
He added that his administration would ensure that the Corporation’s staff operates in line with the international best practices, “which would enhance growth and redefinition of domestic tourism in the country, and ultimately have a positive expression on the nation’s GDP.”
One of the participants of the training and General Manager, National Travel Bureau of the Corporation, Mrs. Chinyere Frank-Idegwu, who commended the foresight of the DG, said the training is key to boosting Internal Generated Revenue of the Corporation.
Hannatu Jimeta described the training as useful and a reflection of the DG’s passion in ensuring the staff is equipped with digital skills and tools, adding that “the training gave better insight into hotel standardization and global best practices.”