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FG urges travel companies to promote Nigeria positively

FG urges travel companies to promote Nigeria positively

July 20 (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Federal Government has advised tourism experts to proudly showcase their country’s diverse tourist attractions, calling on them to portray the country in a positive light internationally.

Ade-John gave the advice on Thursday in Ilorin, during the 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP).

According to Ade-John, “we should not be concerned with de-marketing our country and we should speak positively about this beautiful country.

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“We are already in the process of involving the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to make people aware of the essence of being proud of our country and projecting a positive image of the country.

“It is time to instill in us the pride that Nigeria stands for. We need to sell our country. I want more investors to come and invest in the industry.

“I want tour operators to be more visible at the airports and market Nigeria,” she said.

She said tour operators should not be discouraged from promoting Nigeria as an attractive holiday destination because of the insecurity the country is experiencing.

She said that there is insecurity in several countries around the world and that this problem is not unique to Nigeria.

“This gathering here helps us to express what we have in Nigeria. We are not creating the experiences that we should be creating. Forget the security challenge in Nigeria, every country has security challenges.

“Don’t let the problem of insecurity stop you from promoting Nigeria.

“And when you market our beloved nation, you have to think about promoting experiences. Tourists can come to Nigeria and see our climate. That is an experience.

“We have beautiful beaches with mangroves. Why don’t we sell these things? We need to stop complaining about the government and create our own experiences to attract tourists.
“We have experiences that you can curate for tourists from the 774 local government areas (LGAs), where communities with stories and traditions can be offered as tours,” the minister said.

Among those present are the First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Folake Abdulrazaq, Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria, The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Dr. Kabir, VP of the North West Zone Council, Mrs. Badaki, Deputy Chairman of FTAN, and Mrs. Lola Ade-john, Minister of Tourism.

Others include Stella Fubara, the Managing Director of Del-York Development Company, His Royal Highness Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, Wale Ojo Lanre and the Director General of Ekiti Tourism Bureau.


Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a tourism writer at THEWILL

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