How to ensure the growth and development of tourism in Nigeria? Nigeria offers a wide variety of tourist attractions such as extended and roomy river and ocean beaches ideal for swimming and other water sports, unique wildlife, vast tracts of unspoiled nature ranging from tropical forests, magnificent waterfalls, some new rapidly growing cities and climatic conditions in some parts particularly conducive to holidaying.
Other attractions include traditional ways of life preserved in local customs; rich and varied handicrafts and other colorful products depicting or illustrative of native arts and lifestyle, and the authentic unsophisticated but friendly attitude of many in the Nigerian population.
However, many of these attractions are still largely untapped and even at their raw, undeveloped state, they are still being enjoyed by few outsiders, either very rich visitors in quest of exoticism or adventurous people in search of new challenges and experiences. Undoubtedly, here’s the tips on how to improve tourism in Nigeria.
How to Ensure the Growth and Development of Tourism in Nigeria
The most effective ways to ensure the growth and development of tourism in Nigeria includes:
1. Improve infrastructural facilities
Government should ensure that the provision of basic infrastructural facilities, namely, good roads, water, electricity, communications and hotels, to centres of attraction, in order to accelerate their development for the purpose of exploiting fully their touristic value. In furtherance of this goal, the appropriate government agency responsible for tourism promotion and development, shall establish and maintain close liaison with other government agencies responsible for the provision of the infrastructure.
Over the years, the lack of required modern infrastructural facilities and in some parts of the country, acute conditions of underdevelopment and poverty are impediments to tourism. It is important for the government to tackle these issues so that investors, both foreign and local, are therefore called upon to come and invest in the abundant tourism potentials in the country. The richness and diversity of Nigeria’s tourism resources coupled with economic liberalisation policies will provide investment opportunities in various areas as follows:
- Heritage/Cultural Tourism Resources Development of slave trade relics
- Establishment of museums and preservation of monuments
- Eco-tourism, including Wildlife Tourism Resources
- Development of hiking trails and Jeep tracks in the national parks
- Development of picnic and camping sites at strategic locations within the trail circuit system in the national parks
- Building of tourist lodges
- Building of reception centres at Natural/Physical Attractions
- Provision of cable bus system to take tourist through the very rugged but scenic terrain of the mountains especially in Kanyang, Obudu and Mambilla Plateau Construction of lodge cabins for expedition tourist and rangers.
- Establishment of hotels and resorts near waterfalls, springs, caves and temperate climate areas such as Obudu, jos and Mambila Plateau.
- Beach Tourism potentials Establishment of boating and sport fishing facilities
- Development of water transportation Provision of educational facilities for water skiing and swimming
- Establishment of holiday resorts along the coasts.
- Development of Amusement parks, entertainment facilities and shopping services
- Development of arts and crafts which constitute symbol of the people’s cultural values and love for nature.
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2. Improve the quality and quantity of attractions in Nigeria
One of the most important aspects to ensure the growth and development of tourism in Nigeria is by having a good selection of attractions. Make sure that the city or town has various interests – from historical landmarks to family-friendly activities and everything in between. Additionally, it’s essential to keep those attractions well maintained so that visitors always feel welcome.
Attractions should be accessible to the viewing public, and signage should be clear as to what the attraction is. Ensure easy navigation and consider looking for a bike sharing system provider to increase tourism. Promoting local tourism together with health and fitness is one of a city’s best decisions.
3. Improve tourism facilities
To ensure the growth and development of tourism in Nigeria to international standards, government has to put in place the following:
Embarked on a massive and aggressive publicity campaign in the country, on the potentials and significance of tourism. Available publicity organs of the government must be utilized.
Publicized and marketed the nations tourism potentials abroad, through Nigeria’s diplomatic missions and the foreign media, international travel fairs and mails.
Simplified issuance of visas/entry permit to intending visitors, such that they can get Visas immediately on application. Tourists arriving ports with return tickets, are also issued with visas on the spot.
Security agencies, including customs and immigration must be re-oriented to discharge their duties promptly and efficiently, to eliminate inconveniences to visitors at entry points.
4. Improve the patrol and regulation of the industry
To ensure the growth and development of tourism in Nigeria, the government must enacted laws and regulations, that will govern the activities of the categories of people involved in the tourists industry, like hoteliers, travel agents, tour-operators, car hire services. This is to ensure that their conduct, is not detrimental to the objectives of the industry and the security of the nation, as well as tourists.
5. Fiscal and other incentives
In order to boost the level of private sector investment in tourism, the government must include it in the preferred sector, like agriculture. Government must also introduced such incentives as, tax holidays, tax rebate and soft loans, with long period of grace to potential investors in tourism.
6. Governments should provide land without hindrance
The state and federal governments should provide land without any hindrance for tourism development at concessional rates and conditions favourable to investment and the realisation of investment thereon. This will necessarily include the abolition of annual ground rent within the period of construction and development of tourism. For orderly development of tourism and tourism product, it is mandatory for all state governments to demarcate potential Tourism Zones and their products from other usage, to avoid undue pollution. 100% equity ownership of companies in Nigeria and repatriation of profits and dividends etc.
7. Transportation
Nigeria has attained a high level of good transportation system especially Airline and Road Transportation, investment opportunities are still needed in water recreation transportation and rail services. An inter-modal transportation system linking roads, railways, air and maritime services is being promoted by the Government as part of the massive programme of infrastructural development.
8. Beach
Meanwhile, most of Nigeria’s beautiful beach locations are still largely without accommodation facilities, which are good targets for investors in most tourism destinations across the globe.
