NAN-H-86
Framework
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Oct. 20, 2016 (NAN) A Tourism Consultant, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, has called for
a strategic framework for tourism development in the country.
He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
He said that the idea of adopting strategic framework for sustainable tourism development would help to reduce tension and friction created by the complexity of interactions among tourism
industry stakeholders.
He added that “the framework will ensure that tourism and associated infrastructure operate within natural capacities for the regeneration and future productivity of natural resources.
“It will also recognise the contributions that people and communities, customs and lifestyles make to
the tourism experience.
“A framework will also ensure that host communities have a fair share in the economic benefits of tourism which must be guided by the wishes of local partners.’’
Ndu, the President, African Renaissance Link, said the framework would encourage and maintain practices that do not have negative impact on the environment and host community but contribute to its development.
He added that “it must enhance social sustainability and build a system that does not upset and disturb peoples’ daily lives to acquire proper ecological balance.
“Develop tourism that will be capable of determining the authenticity and individuality of local cultures to be preserved, and avoid their saturation with external cultural influences.
“It must identify, promote, increase and stablise the benefits of tourism resources for the host communities, while maintaining the cultural and environmental integrity of the people.”
He advised that effective tourism framework would provide high-quality visitors’ experience to their destinations, while ensuring that the destinations were not compromised in terms of its social, environmental and cultural integrity.
“It should strengthen the industry’s management and regulate tourism market through standardisation and by implementing the tourism law to accelerate the progress toward advanced international standard,’’ he added.
The tourism consultant said government should take a leading role in marketing and promoting
the nation’s tourism brands through multiple means.
“This can be done through tourism marketing and promotion using media platforms at home and abroad, publications, advertisements and trade and investment promotion officers.
“The platforms may include major international events, large-scale festivals, various international exchanges and international tourism fairs through foreign tourism media and tourism industry representatives.’’ (NAN)
EPA/HA
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(Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu)