Technology
By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
Abuja, Sept. 27, 2018 (NAN) As the world celebrates World Tourism Day (WTD), the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has urged stakeholders to capitalise on digital technology to drive the sector toward attracting foreign investors and tourists.
The National President of FTAN, Alhaji Rabo Saleh, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja to mark the WTD, which has “Tourism and Digital Transformation” as theme for this year.
It is a day set aside by the UN World Tourism Organisation to create awareness on the need to appreciate tourism across the world.
The FTAN boss said “we should use digital technology and data to drive tourism in Nigeria, especially the positive side.
“What is happening today is that when an information is negative, it will go viral and you will see it on the internet.
“For us in the tourism industry, we should look at our good tourism sites and packages that we have to offer as a country and capitalise on digital media and technology to show them to the world.
“However, we should try to drive domestic tourism, before we move to international tourism; because it is only when we move people around Nigeria and they begin to appreciate what we have as a country that foreigners will begin to develop interest.
“There is need for effective publicity on tourist sites in the country and what we stand to gain from its different facets.
“Tourism is all inclusive, we have transportation, airlines, car hire, entertainment, arts and craft.”
The national president, therefore, urged government to create an enabling environment for operators to harness the many untapped treasures in the country’s tourism sector. (NAN)
CMY/HA
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu