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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has inaugurated its South East Zonal Executive Council, with a fresh agenda to reposition tourism as a major driver of economic growth, investment, and employment in the region.
The council was inaugurated in Enugu, bringing together tourism stakeholders with a commitment to develop a common tourism agenda for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Imo, and Ebonyi states.
Speaking after his inauguration, the Vice President, South East Zone of FTAN, Wilson Ugwu, said the new leadership would focus on turning the region’s huge tourism potential into concrete economic opportunities.
Ugwu said the era of merely talking about the tourism potential of the South East was over, stressing that the new council would be judged by what it was able to achieve on the ground.
“We intend to move beyond talking about potential to actually building a tourism economy around it,” he said.
He announced plans to develop a unified South East Tourism Circuit that would connect major tourism destinations across the five states.
He said stakeholder consultations and destination mapping would commence immediately, while the first framework for the circuit was expected within six months.
Ugwu identified insecurity, poor investor confidence, infrastructure deficits, and policy gaps as some of the major challenges confronting tourism development in the region. He said the council would work closely with governments, security agencies, host communities, and private investors to address the challenges and create an environment where tourism businesses could thrive.
The council also plans to establish a unified digital tourism platform and a verified database of tourism assets and businesses in the region. It would equally promote professionally packaged five-state tourism experiences and improve the digital visibility of destinations across the South East.
Delivering the keynote address, Chief Ben Etiaba, said the South East had no shortage of attractions of tourists and investors, rather the major challenge was the failure to turn the attractions into commercially viable tourism products.
“The South East does not have a tourism problem. We have a tourism conversion problem,” Etiaba said.
He urged stakeholders to pursue a regional strategy anchored on five priorities: Connect, Package, Digitalise, Invest, and Empower.
Etiaba said the objective should be to transform attractions into experiences, experiences into businesses, and businesses into jobs and sustainable prosperity.
Also speaking, FTAN President, Dr Aliyu Badaki, charged the new council to unite tourism stakeholders and engage governments and relevant agencies with a common voice.
“Let us see in action that the South East is number one,” Badaki said.
