Tourism authority charges Rivers citizens on state promotion

The Rivers State Tourism Development Agency (RSTDA) recently organised a Port Harcourt City Creative’ Hangout, with a charge to Rivers people to engage in activities that will sell and promote the image of the state at all times.

Director-General of the agency, Mr Yibo Koko, who gave the charge, emphasised the need for creative people in the state to work together with stakeholders to grow their creative assets.

The creative’ hangout, the second of such in the year, which took place at the RSTDA office in Port Harcourt, attracted many stars who performed to the admiration of audience.

Koko, in an interview with newsmen said the event was organised as part of the mandate of RSTDA to attract things that could grow the tourism assets of the state, adding that the agency actually wanted the artists to discover their potential and how they can utilise such for sustainable growth.

Koko further said that the RSTDA also organised a similar event in April and plans to make it a monthly affair.

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He hinted that Rivers people are passionate about the Christmas carnival known as CARNIRIV, stressing that a poll recently organised by the agency indicated that 96 percent of the young generation and 68 percent of the older generation actually want the carnival but regretted a situation where some people erroneously see RSTDA as a carnival agency.

He disclosed that the agency had engaged local government areas and some individuals in the creative space within the local government areas to organise a semblance of the carnival in their localities.

He said: “That is why we have Isiokpo carnival, Andoni carnival, Buguma carnival and Igwuruta carnival, among others.”

Apart from the carnivals, Koko said the agency was doing a lot to make the people gain valuable insights into what constitutes the creative economy or tourism in the state: “The creative need to understand that collaboration is the essence for everyone to grow. The creative’ hangout is a way of continuing the conversation that doing it alone is not the best way to go,” Koko said