Some European tourism companies have expressed interest in exploring Nigeria's tourism potential, Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation has said.
Runsewe, who just returned from this year's World Toursim Fair, held in Madrid, Spain, named Eventolicks, a world-class tour packaging company, based in Madrid, Spain as one firm that had indicated interest in exploring the abundant tourism opportunities in Nigeria.
He said in Jos on Monday that the outfit was interested in “packaging tours to Nigeria for different categories of its clients”.
Runsewe quoted Mr Javier Arambarri, the company’s representative at the fair, as describing Nigeria’s tourism potential as “great and attractive”.
The Madrid fair, which was attended by 172 countries, brought together countries and private industry practitioners from all over the world.
The Director General, who reviewed activities at the fair, said that Nigeria’s participation opened a lot of opportunities for the country to sell its massive potential to European nations.
AApart from the Spanish firm, many other companies have indicated interest in coming to Nigeria to explore the vast opportunities.
aWe have been working toward bringing as many of them as possible, so that they will see the opportunities and select which area best suits their interests,” he said.
He said that tourism would play its role in the transformation agenda of the present administration to improve the economy, adding that the sector had the potential to rake in much funds, if effectively explored.
“What we are doing is to make our presence felt at such international fairs. We are happy that the efforts are bearing the desired fruits.
“And in line with the peace efforts in Plateau State between NTDC and the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff, I will suggest the state as a possible destination to Eventoclick,’’ he said.
He reiterated the need to invest more in the tourism sector, so as to open a vista of investment opportunities to improve the economy by diversifying to areas hitherto, left untapped.
“Tourism has become even more crucial with the need to show the rest of the world that Nigeria is not as bad as was painted. The country is ever ready to receive tourist visitors from all over the world.”
Africa's representatives at the Madrid fair adopted a suggestion for an African Tourism Promotion Initiative (ATPI).
The forum was conceived to discuss how African nations could form a strong unit at international markets, to enable Africa take its pride of place and attract its market share in the hospitality and tourism industry.
The forum was also expected to help the continent to avail itself of other opportunities associated with such togetherness.
The representatives of the 32 African nations, who formed the ATPI, agreed that the platform would be explored by the individual nations of Africa to market and announce tourism calendar of events and other tourism related projects.
The forum is expected to meet in Abuja at a date soon to be announced, when members would articulate ways to achieve their aims, philosophy and objectives.
?
?
???????????????????????
?
?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?