Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said
Nigeria will leverage tourism in its efforts to take development to
the grassroots.
The Minister stated this in a statement in Lagos on Sunday to
mark the 2020 World Tourism Day, which has the theme: ”Tourism and
Rural Development”.
He said the theme, in the words of the United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO), celebrates tourism’s unique ability to drive
economic development and provide opportunities outside of big cities,
including in those communities that would otherwise be left behind.
”Tourism plays an important role in preserving and promoting culture
and heritage all around the world. This is why we are leveraging on
the sector to take development to the grassroots by ensuring that
local communities own and benefit from the cultural heritage and the
tourist attractions in their domain,” Mohammed said.
He said the plan by the Federal Government to establish community
museums is part of efforts to ensure that local communities benefit
from tourism, thus ensuring that the sector contributes to rural
development.
The Minister said the occasion of the 2020 World Tourism Day presents
the opportunity for stakeholders to reflect on the impact of the
Covid-19 global pandemic, which has hit the sector hard and also
stepped down the national celebration of the day.
He said despite the negative impact of Covid-19 on the sector, it was
a mark of its resilience that governments around the world still look
to the sector to drive recovery as a leading employer and economic
pillar in cities and the rural communities.
”It is globally recognised that tourism empowers rural communities
and provides employment mostly for women and youth. It plays an
important role in diversifying the rural economy and its growth,
thereby contributing to the sustainability of the population and the
economy of the areas.
”Tourism therefore helps rural communities make the transition from
agrarian to diversified and sustainable economies,” Mohammed said.
He said rural tourism perfectly suits the trend of most modern
travellers seeking authentic and unique experiences, local lifestyles
and the need to experience natural and unspoiled landscapes.
”Rurality is the central and unique selling point in the rural
tourism package, and apart from being located in rural areas, small in
scale, traditional in character and slowly growing and controlled by
the local people; rural tourism is regarded as tourism in the
countryside, which embraces the rural environment. Most importantly,
rural tourism aims to include and benefit rural communities, while
preserving their environmental and cultural assets,” the Minister
said.
He said in line with the comment made by the Secretary General of the
UNWTO, that the current Covid-19 crisis is an opportunity for member
states to rethink the tourism sector and its contribution to the
people and planet, Nigeria set up a committee to look at the impact of
Covid-19 on the Creative Industry and Tourism, with a view to finding
ways to catalyze the growth of the tourism sector in particular and
the Creative Industry in general.
Mohammed expressed the hope that all the relevant sectors will
fully integrate and promote all the recovery recommendations and
deliverables developed to support the recovery efforts.
