Abuja – The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (NAN) has urged government parastatal agencies to collaborate more with the private sector to harness tourism potential.
Alhaji Saleh Rabo, the newly elected President of FTAN, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
Rabo said: “All the three tiers of governments- States, Local and Federal- are constitutionally arbiters to the growth of the tourism industry.
“The country’s tourism industry has the potential to achieve these, but government cannot do it alone.
“There is need for more purposeful partnership and collaboration with the private sector to make it happen.
“We are ever ready to partner with the government, parastatal agencies and paramilitary organisations at all levels to guarantee expanded revenue generation and create employment from the tourism sector.’’
According to him, the Nigeria Immigration Services, Nigeria Custom Services and other paramilitary and military organisations which formed the earliest point of contact with the inbound tourists need trainings on how to relate with tourists.
Rabo called on the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, National Council for Art and Culture and others to step up efforts on effective collaboration with the private sector to achieve more.
He described tourism as a community-based, saying, “most tourist attractions are naturally domiciled in the host communities that were the custodians of cultural heritage and natural landmark.
Rabo said that the association considered it necessary to work as a team with the custodians of Nigeria’s tourism assets in line with the Tourism Master Plan.
“FTAN will be glad to work with the state governments to midwife tourism destination management programmes to market their destinations and also improve the quality of tourist services in the host communities.
“We are open to collaboration with the media organisations, government parastatals in charge of hospitality and tourism and the paramilitary organisations at the airport and boarders to improve the sector,’’ Rabo said. (NAN)