Nigeria focuses on tourism

By Thomas Steinmetz
Abuja, Nigeria (eTurboNews) – Taking place from 27 to 29 April 2005 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, in conjunction with the second Commonwealth Tourism Ministers Meeting (CTMM), is the Commonwealth Tourism Business Forum. 

Among the speakers at the event were Ambassador Franklin N Ogbuewu, Nigerian Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr. Pascal Dozie, Business support Group chairman Dr. Mohan Kaul, Commonwealth Business Council director general and Geoffrey Lipman, special advisor to secretary general World Tourism Organization, who is also the co-chair of Tourism Business Forum and president International Council of Tourism Partners. Geoffrey was also the moderator of a very active discussion about Promoting Investment in tourism, the Commonwealth experience, ecotourism and improving transportation service.

International Council of Tourism Partners president Geoffrey Lipman said: “Tourism Business Forum will boost Commonwealth Investment Prospects. At the same time will bring together leaders from Nigeria’s tourism industry with potential partners and investors from other commonwealth countries.”

“Organized by the Commonwealth Business Council, it will look at such areas as ecotourism potential, business travel potential, as well as tourism, poverty and corporate social responsibility,” Lipman added.

The Commonwealth aims to play a role in the expansion of travel between its members and the Business Council is their conduit for private sector involvement, according to Lipman.  “Mohan Kaul Director General of the CBC said that Nigeria was a good example of the opportunities for business across the spectrum with oil, agriculture and retail as the traditional market leaders in a country with a huge population and rich oil reserves.

“Now it was the turn of tourism – given the counties major cultural heritage and massive untapped tourism sites. A background analysis for the Abuja meetings suggest that commonwealth nations are sharing fully the global tourism optimism and that investment prospects are significant,” the ICTP president said.

The Nigerian delegates voiced their frustration with the tourism and road infrastructure, the safety and infrastructure of domestic Nigerian airlines. African Airlines have a noticeable lower safety records than their European, Asian or US competition. The air routes in Africa are plagued with challenges such as air lift, routing, price, to name just a few.  Someone going from Nigeria to Zaire, may have to go to Europe first.  The frustration in visa requirements, substandard roads in Africa, especially international roads is a stopping point when attracting tourism.

Nigeria’s tourism minister, the president and the cultural performance promised major changes and a master plan for the country.

The business forum is discussing cooperation between Commonwealth countries and a common ground for tourism within the commonwealth family of nations.

April 29, 2005   Posted in: Africa