FTAN tasks Govt on development of tourism clusters, reduction of taxes, levies
The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has called on Governments in Nigeria at Federal and States level to diversify the nation’s economy by stimulating the development of tourism clusters and tourists destinations across the country.
The President, FTAN, Alhaji Saleh Rabo made the call in Uyo, where he is representing the private sector at the World Tourism Day celebration organised by the Akwa Ibom State.
Alhaji Rabo stated that tourism development is a guaranteed way of creating employment in Nigeria, especially in tourist host communities in rural areas. He revealed that globally, the tourism industry is the highest employer of labour, both skilled and unskilled labour; insisting that the value chain of the tourism economy is robust
and sustainable.
He further called on the Government to create enabling environment for tourism industry to ease their business and to incentivise investments by Nigeria tourism operators.
The FTAN President admonished the State Governments to give tourism business operators in their domain tax holidays, and that the federal government should equally waive import duties for tourism operators.
He argued that presently 85 percent hotels and tourist resorts in Nigeria are owned by FTAN members, but they are being bedevilled with barrage of taxes and levies by federal government agencies, states drive for IGR and even local government officials.
Alhaji Rabo clarified that FTAN members currently employ thousands of Nigerian workers in hotels, tourist resorts, travel agencies, transport sector, cultural centres, and many tourism related operations.
The 27th day of September every year is recognized as the World Tourism Day by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and other national tourism orgnisations in the world.
The theme of this year 2019 World Tourism Day is “Tourism and Jobs a better future for all”. A statement posted on the World Tourism Organisation website regarding the World Tourism Day states that,
“Tourism role in job creation is often undervalued. This is despite the fact that tourism generates 10% of the world jobs and is included in sustainable Development Goal 8 for its potential to create decent work”.
Accordingly, the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) has challenged the government to encourage growth of tourism industry in Nigeria by reducing the plethora of taxes, levies and import duties imposed on already struggling tourism businesses and operators in Nigeria.
The FTAN President opined that a thriving domestic tourism sector in Nigeria can create thousands of job on an annual l basis. He cited records of the World Tourism Organisation which states 1 out of 10 workers in the world are directly employed in the tourism industry.
Rabo concluded that most of Nigeria’s tourist attractions are in the hinterlands, the industry if well supported by government policies, can significantly alleviate poverty in the rural host communities, employ more women and youths, support small and medium scale enterprises, and many more economic multiplier effects.
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