Huge appetite for foreign tourism puts Nigeria’s $7b industry at stake’

    Written by FEMI ADEKOYA

  WITH the potential to earn at least $7 billion yearly from its tourist markets, stakeholders in the tourism industry have emphasized the need for sustainable partnerships and linkages to harness the opportunities in the industry.

   Specifically, Nigeria’s tourist markets hold a $4 billion domestic market and a $3 billion diaspora market yet to be maximally explored for growth.

     According to the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), the domestic tourism market has a very high revenue and job creation potential but remains under explored, as Nigerians’ preference for foreign tourism takes toll on the sector.

   Speaking at a seminar organized by the Hotel, Tourism and Entertainment Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos, yesterday, the Director-General, NTDC, Mrs Sally Mbanefo stated that religious tourism topped the bulk of domestic tourism recorded in 2013.

    “In 2013, Nigeria recorded a total of 4,037,808 international tourist arrivals which accounted for $649.5 million in expenditure, while 3,081,808 domestic tourists accounted for $470.6 million during the period.

    “Religious tourism recorded over a million domestic tourists and a substantial number of international tourists in 2013. In order to address the challenges bedeviling the tourism sector, there is need to address certain concerns including, infrastructure challenge, legal changes, funding, collaboration between state governments as well as with the private sector”.

  She noted that though efforts are being put in place by the government to address the issue of capital flight through tourism, there is a to be done.

   “The NTDC and government in general are aware that developing our local tourism industry for domestic consumption will not be an easy task as it is no longer a secret that more and more Nigerians that can afford it travel abroad everyday.

   “Government can no longer fold its arms and continue to watch the daily capital flight that leaves our over 4,279 hotels and numerous restaurants dry. Nigeria must put in place a mechanism through which benefits can be derived from all departures. We must develop domestic tourism, not just for paid travelers alone, but leisure infrastructure in our various communities for citizens who cannot afford to travel”, she added.

   Also, Director-General, LCCI, Muda Yusuf noted that the tourism industry has the potential to mitigate the problem of rising youth unemployment in the country if well positioned to thrive.

   “We must at this point call on government to pay attention to the supporting services sectors like aviation, transport, modern technology that powers electronic transactions and security in our attempt to promote tourism in Nigeria. If we must promote tourism in Nigeria, these sectors must be well fixed”, he added.

   Some stakeholders within the private sector, especially the hotels and hospitality industry hinged the growth of the sector to proper sectoral linkages as well as regulations to drive key planned actions.


Culled from http://www.ngrguardiannews.com