Minimal funds required to develop domestic tourism – Consultant

A tourism consultant, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu on Monday said government at all levels could develop domestic tourism without expending too much funds.

Ndu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that if domestic or local tourism was enhanced, it would create employment and generate revenue for the government.

“Over 95 per cent of our tourism resources, potential and endowments are in the local government areas and not at the federal and state capitals.

“Government at all levels can facilitate the development of all the tourism sites in the local councils across the country without spending a lot of money.

“The first step is to organise a workshop for all the local councils across the country.

“Interrogate the people of these areas to find out about the tourism potential are there.

“The next step is to involve them and help them prepare feasibility studies, business plans and then link them with financiers, developers.

“Their progress can now be monitored with minimal government funding,’’ the consultant said.

Ndu said that tourism sites could be found in villages located in the local councils and not in city centres such as Abuja and Lagos.

He stressed that government also needed to attract international tourists through effective marketing of these local tourist sites.

“These local tourists’ sites are our comparative advantage. You cannot build five-star hotels in Nigeria that will surpass what they have in Dubai. People will not come here to see such.

“Local tourism is also a road to peace in our country because if I have to welcome tourists into my locality, it will create employment and boost the economy of my locality.

“Consequently, get-rich quick schemes like kidnapping and other criminalities will reduce because the youths will be  gainfully employed,’’ Ndu said.

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The consultant said he had drafted a proposal of more than 70 pages on how local tourism could be boosted with minimal funds.

He said that he sent the proposal to the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

Ndu expressed regret that the responses he got from the two bodies were not encouraging.

“FTAN told me that until I am a fully registered member, it will not look into the proposal, while the NTDC boss said we should put it in the 2018 budget.

“I however told him not to worry because the funding was going to come from outside the government.

“Many pledges to boost local tourism have been made without visible achievements.

“People in position of authority should put in more efforts to enhance the growth of domestic tourism in the country,’’ Ndu said.