MINISTER of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has inaugurated a technical committee on the review of the country’s tourism master plan.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the minister lamented that even though master plan was designed in 2006, a plan of action to implement it was abandoned half way.
He stressed the need for the plan to be reviewed in consonance with contemporary challenges and realities.
“We are talking about reasonable and sustainable tourism because what we are offering to the world in terms of cultural and natural resources are also dependent on Mother Nature, and you must make sure that we do not expend it or expose it in a manner that children unborn would not have anything to show for it,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said part of the drive of the current administration was to make tourism one of the pillars of the nation’s economy.
He said that the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) had already commenced drafting the council’s agenda, which would be handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister also disclosed the readiness of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to assist the country in the review of the Master Plan, having contributed immensely to the drafting of the initial plan.
He underscored the need to develop a synergy among all sectors of government, the private sector and the local community in order to have a multi-sectoral approach towards the development of tourism.
He said, “The thing about tourism is that it is probably the most inclusive of all endeavours in life.”
Members of the review committee include representatives from the Federal Ministries of Information and Culture, Interior, Budget and National Planning, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, as well as the National Association of Nigeria’s travel agencies.