Lagos – Mr Barnabas Ayanyemi, the Director of Studies, Standard Aviation and Maritime Training Institute, on Thursday urged the Federal Government to develop a new tourism policy aimed at evolving a business blue print.
Ayanyemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that government has the capacity to use the blue print as benchmark for tourism business development.
“Government should constitute a panel to evaluate and determine the kind of development needed for the tourism industry,’’ he said.
The director also urged government to collaborate with the private sector to harness the immense potentials in the tourism sector.
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He added that it would also expand government revenue base and the wealth creation potential of the citizens.
“ Collaboration with the private sector will give investors the opportunity to establish institutions, training centres and event centres.
“Government should, however, provide needed infrastructure for sustainable tourism business to flourish in the country,’’ he said.
He said although establishing tourism firms could be capital intensive, the investment had the potential to pay off on the long term, especially in the area of employment generation.
“Tourism has the capacity of improving the economy of a nation through employment generation.
“Government will not regret investing in the sub-sector because tourism investment will open up revenue frontiers.
“Tourism business will amount to increasing the revenue base of the government and creating more jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country,” he said. (NAN)