As Nigeria marks World Tourism Day (WTD) celebration on Tuesday next week, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Chief Samuel Alabi, would lead celebrants in commemoration of an epoch-making event in to Takwa Bay beach, Lagos.
Takwa Bay beach will be the venue for the public engagement and awareness activities for the celebration of the global event earmarked as a day to to pay focal attention on the toursim industry even as the 2022 WTD theme is “Rethinking Tourism”.
Alabi, who received the Chairman of the Planning Committee for the FTAN, Dr. Gani Tarzan Balogun in his office yesterday, emphasized the need to inspire private sector participation in the exercise.
He disclosed that he will ride ahead of the all private sector entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to what is being tipped to be the biggest boat Armanda, geared towards promoting water transportation, and waterfront recreation in Nigeria.
“As BOT Chairman of FTAN and a member of state chapter of the federation, it is important that I should lead the way. I will be there on Tuesday and use this opportunity to call upon all lovers of tourism to come out in great numbers” he said.
On his part, Balogun thanked Chief Alabi for his immense support and encouragement towards putting together the first ever private sector exclusive celebration of the event, hitherto, celebrated by government agencies and ministries.
Speaking recently, at a world press conference, at the Eko Hotels to share insights on programmes for the celebration by FTAN in Lagos, the President of FTAN, Mr. Nkereweum Onung commended the resilience of the private sector in face daunting challenges facing the sector, adding that time had come to change the narrative between public and private sector on tourism.
“We believe we must lead the process of engagement and partner government on how to run this sector successfully to create jobs and empower Nigerians,” he posited.
Nkereweum stressed that FTAN will be focusing on waterways recreation and transportation to draw the attention to both state and federal government on the numerous socioeconomic gains inherent in a well run and managed brown water economy.
“Our Tourism Rethinking process will focus on Lagos littoral advantages and since ATBOWATON is our sub sector group in this area, we intend to draw attention of Lagos government on how to empower and work with the association to create more jobs and open the business to better investment opportunities,” FTAN President noted.