Tourism: Gov Emmanuel Advises NATOP to Device New Methods

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has tasked the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) to adopt new strategies that would make the country’s tourism industry attractive and economically beneficial. Emmanuel made the call yesterday at the fifth Annual General Meeting of the association held in Uyo.

The governor lamented the dwindling fortunes of the tourism sector, despite the vast tourism potential of the country.

The theme of the conference was, “Restarting Tourism in Nigeria: A New Template.”
Emmanuel, however, applauded the new level of commitment and zeal demonstrated in recent times by the tour operators and other stakeholders in promoting tourism, saying if sustained, it can generate huge revenue for both practitioners and the government. He admired the hospitality of the people and said recent developments in transport, social, and tourism infrastructure in the state, despite dwindling revenue, was a deliberate strategy to open the state to the world.

According to him, Akwa Ibom State is blessed with many cuisines and natural tourist sites, including the residence of Mary Slessor, the Blue River, the longest coastline in Nigeria, while the annual Christmas Carole and Christmas Village have become major events in the calendars of lovers of tourism.

He pledged the assistance and partnership of the state government to NATOP but urged them to adopt measures that would project their services and attract goodwill to the country.
In a keynote speech, an oil magnet, Mr Akanimo Udofia, said with improved commitment and institutional attention, tourism could generate more than crude oil and gas for the country. Udofia added that many countries not blessed with natural resources had thrived and prospered through tourism.

He stated, “You will be pleased to hear that a country like Thailand, which is a developing country, ranks as the fourth highest earner for tourism in the world, earning a whopping $60 billion a year from tourism.

“Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, is the 19th most visited country in the world with as much as 15 million people visiting yearly. Most of tourism in Saudi Arabia largely involves religious pilgrimage and it generates $12 billion per year. Now remember that Saudi Arabia ranks as the second largest proven petroleum reserves in the world and the source of most of its revenue, yet it pays a lot of attention to other sectors, including tourism, which is less than two per cent.
“I believe that irrespective of this small slice of the pie of their total revenue, we can all agree that $12 billion revenue from tourism on a yearly basis is still a significant amount of money.”

Speaking also, a former Minister of Tourism in Ghana, Mrs Catherine Afeku, using the Ghana experience, urged Akwa Ibom Government to utilise the opportunity of the Bridge of No Return to welcome back descendants of Nigeria lost to the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Afeku urged government and practitioners to focus on domestic tourism, lobby for tourism incentives, adopt a policy of Right of Abode for relatives in the diaspora, repackage tourism sites, and patronise Made in Nigeria products and services.
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Tourism, Mr. Orman Esin, applauded NATOP for choosing Akwa Ibom and expressed hope that the conference would usher a new partnership between the state and tour operators.

Esin pointed out that the state had pioneered several aspects of tourism in Nigeria, being home to the earliest missionaries. He said with the longest coastline in Nigeria, a fertile land rich in tourism, an international airport, and one of the best golf resorts in West Africa, the state was well positioned to take tourism to the next level in Nigeria.

Emmanuel said, “Akwa Ibom, the real deal, we have the options for all types of tourism in Nigeria. We have the biggest hotel property in West Africa, with consistent growth over the years. We knew that bringing Naija7Wonders group to our state in December for the Christmas Village would bring us the attention we needed.
“We are your partners and will grow tourism together. The governor has a vision of a modern state and has deliberately engineered the development of industries and improved on the existing infrastructure.

“Cuisine, infrastructure, scenery, people and buildings are the hallmarks of Akwa Ibom. We are a very secure place not by accident but by the determination, focus and will of the state government.
“The governor is an industrialist and the state will benefit from energising the tourism stakeholders to come and enjoy the synergy of our facilities. Akwa Ibom is your best choice for tourism in Nigeria.”

National President of NATOP Hajia Bilkisu Abdul paid tribute to NATOP’s former president, Mrs Fatima Garbati. But Abdul regretted the loss of revenue in the tourism sector occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said, however, that the tour business had gradually returned, with Akwa Ibom being one of the star destinations for tour operators.

According to her, “Domestic tourism started to come back to life towards the end of last year. I am glad to note that Akwa Ibom became one of the star destinations for tour operators. They came for the Christmas village events in December and observed that it was a great success; they found your state rich in attractions.
“As we begin to breath back life into tourism, insecurity and high airline tickets prices became a big problem.

“Those two evils of tourism are one of the reasons we have chosen Akwa Ibom as our Destination of Choice for our AGM 2021. Akwa Ibom State is secure and has the infrastructure that we need to thrive. It has one of the best resorts in Nigeria, has an airline and an airport.

“Our coming to Akwa Ibom State is not accidental. NATOP uses its AGM to promote domestic destinations and all our past destinations of choice have become viable locations for Tourism.”
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ifeoma Anyanwutaku. Mohammed urged NATOP to work towards restoring the damaged tourism reputation of the country and urged them to increase international partnerships while adopting international best practices for networking.
The minister called for increased participation from the private sector while urging stakeholders to work towards packaging the country’s investment and tourism potential by repositioning the image of the country.

The minister assured of the readiness and commitment of the ministry in implementing necessary policies that would grow and strengthen the sector.

Chairman, NATOP Board of Trustees and Acting President of FTAN, Nkeruwem Onung, canvassed a separate ministry in order to exploit and develop the full tourism potential of the country.

Onung commended the state government for its continued interest in tourism and hoped that tourism in the state would receive a boost at the end of the conference.

Other goodwill messages were received from Lagos State Government, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), and National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC).