Nigeria’ s World Tourism Day celebration, Tuesday in next week, gained traction with the Board of Trustees chairman, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, chief Samuel Alabi, promising to lead celebrants to Takwa Bay Beach.
Takwa Bay Beach is the venue for the public engagement and awareness activities for the celebration, which is globally marked as a day to to pay focal attention on the industry. Theme for this this year is ” Rethinking Tourism”.
Alabi who received the chairman of the planning Committee for the ftan inspired private sector response, Dr Gani Tarzan Balogun in his office yesterday, disclosed that he will ride ahead of the all private sector entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to what is being tipped to be the biggest boat Armanda, geared towards promoting water transportation, and waterfront recreation in Nigeria.
” As BOT chairman of ftan and a member of state chapter of the federation, it is important that I should lead the way. I will be there on Tuesday and use this opportunity to call upon all lovers of tourism to come out in great numbers” he explained.
Dr Gani Tarzan Balogun, said he came to see the Alabi to appreciate his immense support and encouragement towards putting together the first ever private sector exclusive celebration of the event, hitherto celebrated by government agencies and ministries.
Earlier at a world press conference held at Eko Hotel to share insights on programmes for the celebration by ftan in lagos, President of ftan, Mr Nkereweum onung, commend the resilient of the private sector in face daunting challenges facing the sector, adding that time had come to change the narrative between public and private tourism relationship.
” we believe we must lead the process of engagement and partner government on how to run this sector successfully to create jobs and empower Nigerians.” Nkereweum explained, adding that ftan focusing on waterways recreation and transportation, is to draw attention to both state and federal governments on the numerous socioeconomic gains inherent in a well run and managed brown water economy.
” our tourism Rethinking process will focus on lagos littoral advantages and since ATBOWATON is our sub sector group in this area, we intend to draw attention of lagos government on how to empower and work with the association to create more jobs and open the business to better investment opportunities ” ftan President noted.