REBRANDING TOURISM IN NIGERIA: 25TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

The stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industry in Nigeria gathered at Rockview Hotel in Abuja on the 21st of July, 2022 to mark the 25th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria with the theme, Tourism in Nigeria: The Way Forward. 

The AGM which attracted stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industry laid a solid foundation for extensive discussions on the way forward for tourism and hospitality in Nigeria.  

The keynote speaker, His Excellency, Sen. Liyel Imoke, the former Governor of Cross River State, stressed the need for stakeholders to encourage domestic tourism first before looking for outbound tourists. In his words, “you have to visit the remarkable sites in your nation before you think of the white man visiting them.” Speaking further, Sen. Imoke said, “We need to redefine tourism”. In redefining the tourism industry, stakeholders need to come together to chart a course for the sector.

Representing the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture was the  Director General of NTDC, Chief  Folorunsho Coker who applauded the giant strides taken by the Federation, stressing that FTAN has the capacity to address what tourism needs and also assured the Federation ofNTDC’s  partnership and the needed support for tourism industry to thrive in the country. Also speaking at the event, the Director of Domestic Tourism department of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mrs. Patricia Naral, insisted that if the tourism sector is remodelled, it has the ability to gain considerable global attention.  

According to the DG NCAC, Otunba Runsewe, tourism is the biggest industry and highest employer of labour in Nigeria . It is worthy to note that the travel and tourism sector contributes between 5.2% and 5.5% to the GDP and overall economy of Nigeria, if properly positioned it will become a big foreign exchange earner just like crude oil.

Speaking on the need for capacity development, Mr. Adedayo Adesugba, CEO of Nexu318 Hospitality Management and Investment Ltd, called for development of capacity in the industry to sustain professionalism. In his words, “we really need to focus on training, capacity building and certifications”. 

The importance of better strategies for marketing any product to the members of the public cannot be overemphasised hence the need to market tourism products and services for visibility and patronage. Tourism marketing is intended to promote the business, make it stand out from competitors, woo customers, and generate brand awareness. Supporting this, Dr. Adun Okupe, the founder and senior Advisor of Redclay Advisory, stressed on the need to develop a competitive market and have a full grasp of the ecosystem. She said  promotional marketing will enhance the visibility of the tourism products and services available in the country.

Interestingly, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria under the leadership of Mr. Nkereuwem Onung is working relentlessly with other stakeholders in the industry to ensure that tourism in Nigeria is no longer a business as usual but meets up with the global standard. 

FTAN SECRETARIAT