Activities lined up for the forthcoming Lagos Tourism Summit is fast gathering moimentum as the former Ghanian President, Mr. John Mahama is set to arrive the country for the Tourism Summit holding on Monday 16th April at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos .
Mahama is expected to deliver the keynote address at Summit.
The summit with the theme: Destination Lagos: Towards A Sustainable Tourism-Driven Economy”, will also feature paper presentations by renowned Stakeholders in the tourism business and a panel discussions
Speaking during a press briefing on the summit in Lagos on Tuesday April 11, the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Art and Culture, Mr, Steve Ayorinde noted that the forthcoming Lagos Tourism Summit is a bold step embarked upon by the Governor Akinwumi Ambode administration to demonstrate its commitment towards making Lagos, the foremost tourism destination in Africa.
He explained that the idea of the Lagos Tourism Summit is part of the inclusive agenda to allow all stakeholders contribute to the ongoing tourism masterplan being put together by Messrs Earnst and Young on behalf of the Lagos State Government.
Ayorinde maintained that the Administration of Governor Ambode has pursued vigorously his project T.H.E.S.E agenda which seeks to invest in human capital and infrastructure to encourage creativity and promotion of genius minds in arts, entertainment, culture and tourism.
He stated that the gathering will provide a rare opportunity to engage stakeholders, professionals, leading academics and scholars, researchers in the tourism, culture, arts and entertainment industry, local and foreign media practitioners to debate, exchange ideas, deliberate and chart a way forward for Lagos tourism.
In his words: “The idea of the summit is not to find another talk shop but to list out in specific terms the interventions that are needed in producing a masterplan that assist in shaping the tourism sector in Lagos State in the next 15 to 20 years.
And so you will find the four sessions at the summit as well as the exhibition hall dwell around the pillars that the proposed Tourism Masterplan, namely: Culture and Heritage, Film Art and Entertainment, Business and MICE, Beach and Leisure, Nature and Adventure and Medical and Wellness.”
Ayorinde stated further that the administration’s short term measure of using THESE to achieve early wins like the creation of full-fledged Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, encouraging existing practitioners and stakeholders with institutional support and sustaining positive hope of investors in the sector needs a more concrete rejig in line with global best practices.
He disclosed that besides the main theme for discourse at the summit; other topics to be discussed include; Exploring the Lagos Tourism Eco-system for greater Economic and Social Benefits, Financing Tourism: the path and possibilities for Lagos State; and M.I.C.E, Creative Content as Tourism Industry panacea.
