Tourism has been identified as one of the major avenue which would increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Osun State if the potentials are properly harnessed.
Architect Olugbenga Akintola through the Media Director of Atunse 2018, Mr Olaniyi Omotoso, released the statement to newsmen that once Alliance for Democracy assume office in November 2018, more tourist centres which exist and abound in the state would be built and developed to be at per with Osun Oshogbo Festival.
The Osun Oshogbo Festival held in Oshogbo last week was an avenue for the Gubernatorial Candidate of the Alliance for Democracy in the State in stressing its government desire to provide employment for the youths in the state and provide social amenities for these tourism sites when voted to power on September 22, 2018 to develop more tourist site in the state to which would in order words generates more internal revenue for the State.
“What I see is the State of tourist attractions where you see a lot of activities going on year in and out.
“Osun State is a blessed State especially in the area of Religious Tourism. Osun Osogbo Festival is highly regarded to the extent that UNESCO funds the event annually. This Festival is actually one of such numerous festivals in the state just as we have the Olojo festival in Ile Ife, Osun State.
Apart from these traditional religious festivals with huge tourism benefit for the State, we all would agree with me that Osun State is like a Jerusalem for Christians and non-Christian believers also.
There abound several ‘Spiritual mountains’ in the state which many believes has the efficacy of answering prayers which millions visits every year for one spiritual purpose or the other. People come from within and outside the state, all over Nigeria and outside country.People come for every other continents apart from Africa, Europe, America and even Asia to seek various solutions to their problems.
“Places Like Oke Erinmo in Erin Ijesha, Oke Baba Abiye in Ede, in fact Ikoyi near Ikire has several mountains that receives millions of visitors every year. This place as we talk about doesn’t have good roads and even electricity. What stops us from encouraging private investors from building properties which could accommodate visitors here and there? All we need to do is to provide social amenities in that area and those places would developed faster than we could imagine.
“We have places of interest like the Erin Ijesha Water falls to mention but few which could help commercial organisations and those in business of holidays and visits to these places of interest. All we need to do is to create a conducive environment for Public and Private Partnership to thrive between government and those interested in investing on other tourist sites which need to be developed into international standard.
‘I know how much development that came to Ada, Osun State just because there was a Golf Course sited in that quiet town, the Okada riders and other petty traders were really happy each time there was golf tournament in that area but that no longer is the case As I’m talking to you, so we will
not overlook the benefits sports Tourism we could derive as a state.
“It is disheartening that right now, Osun State does not have a stadium that could be compared to other states in the South West not to talk of Nigeria. So how can we attract visitors to our states how can we host games festivals that would bring tourist to our state or develop properly our athlete?
Yes we have good history in Gymnastic but a lot must still be done in these areas of sports Tourism because the more we built places of interest that would attract accommodate and entertain people like Osun, Oshogbo, the better for our economy.”
and then