ABUJA – A hospitality and tourism consultant, Mr John Adzer, has advocated the establishment of “Tourist Police” in the tourism industries in the country.
Adzer made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that the establishment became necessary because of the security challenges in the country, stressing that supplementary security measures should be encouraged and supported by the Nigeria Police Force. “Tourist police will concentrate on providing supplementary security for visitor and guests and will be visible in all areas where tourists frequent.
“There must be locals involved in the policing of our parks, hotels and tourist centres. [eap_ad_1] “These locals know the terrain very well. They know the criminals amongst them and they are in a position to fish them out,” he said.
Adzer said although many hospitality and tourism organisations had taken various private security initiatives, it was, however, necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these security outfits.
He said there must be an arrangement to determine how the existing systems would be enhanced and how to combine the private security initiatives to make tourism industries safe.
“Private security outfits and the activities of the official law enforcement agencies will guarantee safety of tourists.
“This coordination and cooperation will include sharing of information as well as harmonisation of strategies. It is a must for the industry to move forward.
“In addition to working together, the authorities must make available rewards for information leading to the arrest of criminals or offenders.” he said. (NAN)
[eap_ad_4]
