'TOURISM FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH', The theme for this year's World Tourism Day celebration recently marked on Monday, September 27, in Nigeria and worldwide has been commended as apt for the event.
Speaking to journalists on Monday in Abeokuta, Chief Dr. Ganiu Balogun a.k.a Tarzan, a front line tourism practitioner in the country, the Managing Director of Gani Tarzan Marine Enterprises Nig. Ltd. and the National President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON) said the theme has helped to refocus government's attention to tourism trade.
He said though governments in Nigeria is yet to fully realise the importance of tourism industry and its inherent benefits to the economy, he noted that it is a gradual process as governments are just beginning to realise that the industry could succeed revenue earnings from petroleum.
Tarzan said governments are just realising that they ought to be making vast fortunes from tourism earnings.
Asked to state what could draw Nigeria back from being a destination of choice in Africa for tourists, the president of ATBOWATON explained that governments needed to do more on roads, insecurity and electricity.
He noted that the country's roads are bad and unmotorable by global standard ratings as many roads have big holes and obstructions that are death traps.
Tarzan bemoaned irregular supply of electricity which he pointed out that this discourages entrepreneurship and a big disappointment to tourism trade as many hotels, restaurants and parks will go under if they run fully on the exorbitant cost of diesel.
He noted that that was why many tourism concerns can not run fully on electricity all the day as they run on generators.
On insecurity, Chief Balogun noted that the situation is getting worse everyday. He noted that the situation is so bad that no country can now advise it's citizens to spend their holidays in Nigeria.
He pointed out that all these things are what governments in the country have to work on if we want tourism to assume its pride of place as a major revenue earner in Nigeria.
Tarzan lamented that lack of basic infrastructures are making it difficult for many practitioners to survive while those still struggling to survive are groaning daily.
He noted that Nigerians are hard working people but they needed to be encouraged by government by putting in place all the necessary amenities that would help the people to do more.
Tarzan also pointed out that accommodations in Nigerian hotels are on the high side because owners have to find ways to provide potable water, electricity, security and other basic amenities which end up adding to the price that customers have to pay.
He therefore begged governments to work assiduously on ways to reduce the cost of doing business in the country as many businessmen are crying.
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