Tourism Ministry, NATOP to partner on marketing Nigeria
The Federal Ministry of Tourism and Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) have agreed on a partnership deal that is geared towards the promotion and marketing of Nigerian tourism across board.
This development follows the meeting between the Tourism Minister, Mrs Lola Ade-John and the executive council of NATOP led by its President, Hajia Bolaji Mustapha. The Minister, who expressed delight over the visit by the team, commended them for their commitment to the promotion of Nigerian tourism even as she assured them of her Ministry’s collaboration with the association in this effort.
‘‘We shall partner together, and I do assure you of my Ministry’s support and encouragement. Going forward, we shall endeavour to invite and carry your association along in whatever we are going to do,’’ said the Minister.
Adding, ‘‘we need you to furnish us with a list of your accredited members and when we are going to present the tourism policy, which we think we needed to review, we shall invite NATOP to look at it and further add value to the document.”
On funding support to NATOP towards its activities and showcasing Nigeria at the forthcoming World Travel Market (WTM) in London, Ade-John disclosed that the Ministry is working around tourism budget, which currently cannot help drive the many pending tourism projects of the Ministry.
According to her, “we are constrained financially for now and can’t do much, but hopefully, by next year budget, we should have done our homework well and I assure you that we are going to do many tourism projects together because what you did during the World Tourism Day celebration in Lagos was the way to go in promoting Nigeria, which is very dear to my heart.”
Earlier in her remarks, Mustapha informed the Minister of the association’s short and long term plans to intentionally market Nigeria’s rich tourism assets and also of their intention to participate at the World Travel Market in London.
According to Mustapha, ‘‘we are here to assure you and the Ministry of our partnership and collaboration to market Nigeria’s diverse offerings, cutting across cultural heritage, eco-tourism, hospitality, festivals, and fashion. ‘‘We are interested in sharing our knowledge concerning Nigerian tourism policy and other industry related concerns, which would help reposition our tourism within the domestic and international space.”
She noted that the association would reinvent the strategic socio-economic importance of tourism economy to job creation and empowerment of the people, with eyes on improved global ranking as a destination to visit in Africa.
‘‘We have started looking inward, and in weeks and months to come, NATOP will embark on project rediscover Nigeria, galvanise the states and local authorities and the Nigerian people to think Nigerian culture and tourism first. Nigeria tourism is important to us, and we want to have your Ministry’s backing in this noble effort.”