Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) is set to mark the 2018 World Tourism Day celebration in grand style.
Arising from its general meeting in Lagos, NATOP rolled out plans to commemorate the 2018 edition of the World Tourism Day celebrations with a roadshow in Abuja to mark the day and a media parley holding simultaneously with select media houses in Lagos.
President of NATOP, Hajia Bilkisu Abdul explained that, “the decision to do a roadshow in Abuja and Media parley in Lagos with select top media houses in the country is in line with the World Tourism Organisation’s theme for the 2018 which is Tourism and the Digital Transformation”.
She noted that the importance of digital technologies in tourism, providing opportunities for innovation and preparing the sector for the future is at the centre of World Tourism Day 2018.
World Tourism Day, celebrated every 27 September around the world, is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on tourism’s actual and potential contribution to sustainable development.
This year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) will help to put the opportunities provided to tourism, by technological advances including big data, artificial intelligence and digital platforms, on the map of sustainable development. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) sees digital advances and innovation as part of the solution to the challenge of marrying continued growth with a more sustainable and responsible tourism sector.
Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General explained that, “Harnessing innovation and digital advances provides tourism with opportunities to improve inclusiveness, local community empowerment and efficient resource management, amongst other objectives within the wider sustainable development agenda”.
While the Nigerian chapter celebrates the day in Abuja and Lagos respectively, the WTD official celebration will be held in Budapest, Hungary, a country enjoying steady growth of tourism backed by consistent policy support and a commitment to the digital future.
Other celebrations will take place worldwide
