…Accusing the Minister of Tourism on effectiveness and stakeholder engagement
Mrs. Toyin Odugbesan, a tourism expert and hospitality entrepreneur, has lamented the impact of insecurity on the tourism sector and called on the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu to address the menace plaguing the country.
Odugbesan, who has been in the tourism and hospitality industry for over 15 years, spoke to the Guardian in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
She said: “The impact of insecurity on tourism is huge as security is one of the key factors that makes tourism thrive.While we can chart the future direction of tourism in Nigeria, If people feel that Nigeria is not safe or even a particular state is not safe, they will be deterred from coming to Nigeria. That is why we must find lasting solutions to the threats in this country. We implore this administration to resolve the security issue.”
Mr Odugbesan, however, praised the government for making the Federal Ministry of Tourism independent and creating an arts, culture and creative economy. “Still, the public-private partnership model is the way to go. Most of our tourist destinations are moribund. I call on the government to pay more attention to tourism, as it has great potential.
Tourism can be used as a tool to grow our economy, creating jobs and encouraging foreign investment, as is happening in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Dubai. To achieve this, we need to bring the private sector into the tourism industry. We need to enable them to operate in partnership with the government. The government doesn't actually have to do the business, most of our destinations are actually government-owned, but we do need to enlist the help of the private sector to get the desired results. ”
The entrepreneur also called on the Minister of Tourism for effectiveness and stakeholder engagement in this area.
