By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
President National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (nanta), Susan Akporiaye has commended the National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC for the successful branding of Nigeria’s cultural products at the just concluded Jos NAFEST festival.
Akporiaye stated that NCAC under tunba Segun Runsewe has proven beyond doubt that Nigeria has all it takes to welcome visitors and above all, put together Cultural tourism events that can compete favourably with others all over the world.
” It is very exciting and heartwarming to see how our culture tourism products, cuisines, fashion and history are carefully articulated and presented.” Otunba Segun Runsewe has given us hope and provided us tourism products to market and promote, and we at nanta have noted this intervention and invitation to support, create jobs and empower our members” she explained.
She further explained that time has come for tourism, Culture and Hospitality Practitioners to take advantage of the various festivals and Cultural platforms packaged by NCAC not only to attract both local and International visitors but create additional streams of job openings and income.
“We can’t pretend that government is not doing anything to help us. Under NCAC, we have veritable Cultural tourism products in Nafest and International Arts and Culture expo(INAC), so we must put on our thinking caps, get out of our state of self pity and do the right thing.”
She promised to mobilize the over fifteen thousand members of the association to work with the NCAC leadership to create a sustainable tourism package and also at same time, work out new normal marketing opportunities with state governments to power rural Cultural heritage to the advantage of women and youths across.
” Jos is certainly beautiful and the many stories of insecurity exaggerated. NANTA has a role to play, to be part of efforts to rebrand Nigeria.”
Time has come for us to find the connection and we are glad otunba Segun Runsewe has shown us the way” she added.
