Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has called for a review of the National Policy on Tourism.
Speaking while formally unveiling its ARISE Agenda for Akwa -Ibom state, at 26th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, FTAN, in Abuja on Thursday, with the theme; ‘Tourism Today and Tomorrow: Setting the Agenda for the New Administration’, Governor Eno, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, stated that the global tourism sector is growing and evolving almost with the speed of light.
He said this makes it impossible to use policies which emanated from old thinking to drive a 21st century, ICT driven sector.
Eno’s Arise policy seeks to grow the Akwa Ibom tourism industry through; an enhanced infrastructure base which entails significant investments in upgrading and developing tourism infrastructure in the state.
Governor Eno who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Akon Eyakenyi,
also recommended for the amendment of existing laws to fast track tourism development.
The Governor stressed that the country must tailor her legal framework to encourage investments in the sector.
In that case, existing laws must be reviewed and new ones enacted to encourage direct foreign investments and the participation of more local investors in the sector, he said .
Akwa-Ibom Governor also emphasized the need to address the challenge of insecurity, adding that insecurity and tourism development are mutually exclusive.
According to him, we must work very assiduously towards building a reputation as a safe and secure country in order to attract more tourists and even investors to the country.
Eno explained that the building of infrastructures must underpin tourism development.
He explained that, “the Dubai tourism sector, for instance is largely driven by bold infrastructures. From the quality of our airports, to roads, seaports, railways and other infrastructures, the signature of excellence must be unmistakable”.
The Governor also stated that there must be a national culture in support of tourism.
In his words: “Nigerians are no doubt very hospitable people. But we can do better because we are competing with the rest of the World. Government should aggressively sensitize Nigerians on attitudinal change in the direction of tourism development so much so that we should be ranked the best in the world in hospitality”
Eno also called for positive branding which
must be intentional about the image we project to the World, hence the need for a conscious corporate branding of Nigeria to make it more attractive.
Eno added that Nigeria is blessed with many historic sites.
According to the Governor, “It is an historical fact that more slaves departed to the new world from Badagry in Lagos State, yet Badagry has not factored in the travel plans of most African Americans who desire to establish links with their Motherland”.
He urged the government to engage professional associations such as FTAN to work out a framework to finally tap into this solid sector,
adding that jobs will be created, growth will occur, millions of our youths will be gainfully engaged, and at the end of all, everyone wins.
Eno explained further that In Akwa Ibom State, tourism is a key focal point in its ARISE Agenda.
He said: “As a hospitality practitioner myself, we are determined to invest heavily in this sector and get our people back to work.
We will promote our nationally and internationally known cuisines, and thanks to our dear daughter, Hilda Baci who recently won the Guinness World Record for the longest hours spent cooking by an individual, our rich cuisines now are on the international map.
We have several historic sites, the house where the founder of Nigeria, Fredrick Lord Luggard lived in, is in Ikot Abasi. We have the Raffia works in Ikot Ekpene and other sites to see.
We have everything going for us, world-class infrastructure, the ease of travel made possible by Ibom Air, Nigeria’s most preferred airline, peace and youthful and innovative population and above all a deeply hospitable people”.
Eno continued that: “The Victor Attah International Airport is equipped with a state of the art terminal building. Maintenance Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and located in a vast green area in the outskirts of the State capital with a dual carriageway, designed to create a natural ambience and serenity which make a trip to or from the city centre pleasurable. With one of the best road networks in the West African subregion; upmarket hotels and recreational facilities, including a global standard golf course, Akwa Ibom State is capable of hosting the World and being a key player in global tourism.
Moreover, we have the longest clear sand shoreline in the country, deep green forests, mangrove stretches, artworks, Mary Slessor House in Itu, the Opobo boatyards, the scene of the 1929 women’s riot in Ikot Abasi, the marine transport beaches in Oron, the fishing ports, the National Museum and Monuments, Oron, the Ifiayong trading posts, etc. to give tourists a great and memorable viewing experience.
“The Ibeno beach, located on the Atlantic coast and endowed with a long stretch of natural white sand, is the longest sand beach in West Africa. It is an absolutely breathtaking work of nature – one of the best tourist sites in Africa and an excellent location for leisure, water sports and picnics. In the course of this administration, we intend to turn this amazing gift of nature, into a resort such as those found in The Gambia or Runaway Bay, Ochio Rios in Jamaica or those in Cancun, Mexico”.
He said their plan is not just to get more people to travel to Akwa Ibom State and spend their money, but to give those who visit the State, maximum value for money and satisfaction to warrant voluntary repeat visits.
He pointed out that presently, the Ibom Icon Hotel, situated amidst a rich palm forest vegetation within the Nwaniba Golf course, offers the kind of serenity that is rare to find anywhere else in West Africa.
Eno maintained that the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel situated in the heart of the Raffia City of Ikot Ekpene is designed to give global standards hospitality to tourists, while there are several medium level hotels scattered across the State for the benefit of tourists.
“Ibom Specialist Hospital, Uyo is a World class medical facility designed to redirect medical tourism from other parts of the World to Akwa Ibom State. Then, we have the 30,000 capacity Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, the best sporting facility in Nigeria and one of the best in Africa. The Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Center, located in the State capital, just a few metres from the Banking and Financial Institutions Layout is an integrated recreational facility, housing a cinema, shopping malls and upon completion, a five star hotel, an international conference centre and a theme park”, Eno explained.
He further explained that with all these already in place, his administration will focus on the development of their vast coastline, upgrade of facilities in the various tourist sites to international standards, expand existing infrastructures and consolidate on the present atmosphere of peace and security in the State as it invite experts to discuss and contribute to their blueprint in an event tagged “Ibom Dialogue” holding between the 24th and 27th of this month.
Eno said: “We hope to connect the dots, fine tune our proposals and come up with a clear policy on economic development, including tourism and an action plan with timelines for implementation. I hope we can partner with your association to explore the enormous opportunities that exist in this sector”.
Governor Eno stated that with the increasing popularity of culture of holidays, recreation and relaxation, the love for adventure as well as admiration for arts, the global tourism sector will keep growing and earning trillions of dollars.
The Governor asked, how much of this humongous amount will enter our national treasury? This question or concern becomes even more imperative in the face of the declining relevance of crude oil, which accounts for 95percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and 80 percent of budgetary revenues”.
He said they have seen how tourism and its multiplier effects have helped to develop the economies of nations, creating thousands of jobs, boosting trade, supplying foreign exchange and increasing tax returns for their governments.
He earned that Nigeria cannot afford to be left out of the global tourism windfall.
