The Manager, Technical Cooperation, United Nations Tourism (UNTourism), Mr Marcel Leijzer, has underscored the significance of arts and culture to the development of tourism in a nation.

He noted that tangible heritage as palaces, monuments, traditional clothing, artwork, and others, intangible heritage which consists of nonphysical intellectual wealth, such as folklore, customs, beliefs, traditions, knowledge, and language, are key to tourism development.

“Arts and culture are key product for tourism development,” he said. “Basically, you can develop both tangible cultural heritage like the palaces, monuments, landscapes, archive materials, books, works of art, and artifacts, and also the intangible cultural heritage like song, music, dance, skills, and festivals.

The challenge is to package it well so that you get a comprehensive product and make it big for tourited over 20 tourism sites within Ekiti State, with the aim of designing a comprehensive masterplan to boost tourism in the state.

The UN official listed some of the sites he visited in Ekiti State between Aug. 17 to Aug. 22, as including Ekiti parapo war museum in Okemesi-Ekiti; Ikogosi warm spring in Ikogosi-Ekiti; Mount Golgotha in Efon-Alaye-Ekiti; the palm tree with 42 heads in Ilog – bo-Ekiti; the first mass centre in Usi-Ekiti; and Olosunta sacred rock in Ikere-Ekiti.

The list also include: the place of Ogun, the source of Osun-Oshogbo river in Igede-Ekiti; Abanijorin rock in Iyin-Ekiti; Poroye shrine in Ijan-Ekiti; Sacred river with untouchable fishes in Erinjiyan-Ekiti, and several other sites.

The historical and cultural sites, according to him, hold interesting and fascinating mysteries, stressing that, “My visit to Ekiti was an amazing experience, which revealed that Nigerians are incredibly welcoming, hospitable and friendly.

I think being genuists to come and spend a full day and so on.” Leijzer, who spoke with the New Telegraph after his assessment of various tourism sites in Ekiti State, said Nigeria has all it takes to enjoy the immense wealth from tourism, considering the enormous tourism potential which the nation endowed with, adding that the hospitable nature of Nigerians is quite amazing, exciting and capable of attracting tourists.

The UN official visinely welcoming to visitors is part of Nigerian culture. “I have seen beautiful and dramatic rock formations, natural amphitheatre which can be rebranded, fascinating landscapes, mountains, waterfalls, caves, as well as unique and beautiful birds.”

He noted that he has been to 55 countries, but he has never seen such kind of naturally beautiful tourism attractions. “I observed that Ekiti has varieties of colourful festivals.

I was made to understand that hardly was there a week without the people celebrating one or two festivals, I am really amazed by the enormous tourism assets in the state “I have been able to do some hiking, bird and butterfly watching.

The sight of the colourful setting of the towns with greenery vegetation, beautiful sands, landscapes and the people welcoming me with smiles spurred some form of joy within me,” he said.

Leijzer, who was visiting Nigeria for the first time, said the visit had informed the UN Tourism, the kind of expertise and experience needed to help build the state’s tourism industry.

He assured that having assessed those tourism destinations that must be included in the masterplan, international and national experts would be engaged in the entire process of drafting the plan.

According to him, the expertise needed would be in the area of new resource development and quality development. “Our main focus will be in delivering technical cooperation and capacity building to staff of Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism to enable them work effectively in grooming the industry.

“We will also look into the sustainability aspect and tourism promotion, we will engage our social media platforms to market the state as a choice destination for tourism.

“We are going to provide advice on how the tourism sector can be groomed. “Let us believe that this will be the beginning of a long lasting collaboration in tourism development with Nigeria.”

Also speaking with New Telegraph at the media chat, the Director-General of Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, who led the UN team through the tourism destinations, expressed excitement over the great feat achieved by the state to have gained the team’s attention.

He expressed appreciation to Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State for his usual support for the industry, saying this would mark the beginning of lofty developments in the state.