In the last three years, the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has made a serious issue out of the many problems bedevilling the Nigerian tourism industry. Caught between keeping an eye on travel and tourism business, NANTA, under the leadership of Bankole Bernard, has made it clear that this business can no longer be discussed at the beer parlour alone, considering the mega backs and job openings created by the industry all over the world.
Indeed, the association is just angry and tired of the lip service and bogus tourism policies, if any, fronted and projected as signs of creating the enabling environment for investors and interested players. Keen observers of NANTA interface with government at all levels, traditional institutions, National Assembly and the media could readily submit that the association possibly understands the need to enage tourism advocacy expectations in an uncommon way, not attacking government officials but taking the campaign to them, having been convinced that collaborative initiatives driven by the very deep understanding of issues affecting its development could bring about certain acceptable changes.
Apart from visa regime and state tourism infrastructure, which tend to pose certain nightmares, it is equally certain that tourism policy issues are ventilated in the public space in such a simple manner that the public could really understand that tourism is a profitable venture. The insurance and banking institutions, not excluding the Central Bank hardily capture the positive and income generation effects of this huge economy merely “seen” here and discussed but not empowered.
Today is not for long stories of what impact tourism could have on our economy but to look at what has kept this nation in one dark spot for many years. Take it or leave it, NANTA, in its 43rd year, is the most organised and foremost tourism private sector association in Nigeria and has done more than any other tourism association to draw attention to issues affecting the entire gamut of the travel and tourism sector. Like an evangelist, NANTA has been very untiring, frontal and dedicated in ensuring certain policy shifts in this area.
Last year, in Port Harcourt, at its elective AGM, NANTA took to the streets of the Garden City and combed the city in support of advocacy to the very cause of tourism in Rivers State, which before then was de-marketed as a very unstable and insecure environment. As an insider, the project to promote tourism in Rivers State through strategic staging of its conclave was massed up in debate, as most of the association’s leaders had already bought into the lie that Rivers was not secure for tourism and, therefore, could not hold its AGM there, with possible boycott of the event by its foreign support community.
Bernard had to deploy a strong team to investigate the insecurity allegations and, always ready to account for his leadership of NANTA during this trying period in Nigeria, gave the green light, which gave rise for a “Walk for tourism” in Rivers State and a very successful campaign and gathering of trade experts and professionals, foreign and local.
At its 43rd outing in Lagos last week, NANTA again pulled all the stops and could have painted Lagos “red” but for the very presence of weak legs among its members in Lagos, which is the association’s stronghold, apart from Kano. Let me here briefly share the few top and interesting moments at the event in Lagos.
Otunba Segun Runsewe: “Peace is the key”
Director-general, National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC), Runsewe, came prepared with a 16-page presentation of the various value chains inherent in the sector and to which many players and nation can benefit if the tourism industry is in order. He, however, made it clear that cut-throat rivalry and absence of collaboration would continue to deny the sectorial players opportunities to harness the tourism gains for self and nation.
Runsewe called for peace among players and a new engagement spirit to see the sector as potentially huge and rich to put food on the table for Nigerians.
Joko Pelumi: “Add value and play tourism politics”
Former Lagos State Speaker and lawyer was on the podium as a veritable friend of the house and was unsparing about the poor state of tourism in Nigeria. He called for value added service to buy out Nigerians to embrace the tourism wind of change and advised certain mix in politics and tourism trade, since both advocate for wellness of the people.
Coker: “The digital Messenger”
Folarin Coker, the NTDC helmsman, canvassed for better image for Nigeria and challenged the media to pay less attention to certain challenges exploited by enemies of Nigeria to brand it as a hostile destination. However, his agenda on “digital” tourism presented a fresh angle for the “space” to address policy challenges yet very expectant that amended laws of NTDC awaiting presidential approval holds options.
In the weeks to come, we shall try to give deep interpretations to those submissions, not leaving out strategic insights that may pose some problems in the nearest future if not addressed now.