Banji Adelusi
Tourism stakeholders, have been urged to redefine the future of tourism by showing responsibility towards the sustainability of the sector.
The Executive Secretary of the Bureau of Tourism, Ekiti State, Mrs Bamidele Owoeye said this on Wednesday at a commemorative Symposium organized by the Tourism Students Association of Ekiti State University to mark the 2023 World Tourism Day.
Mrs Owoeye, who led a team of stakeholders comprising of practitioners, officers of tourism and hospitality organizations in the State to the event affirmed that sustainable and responsible tourism is a collective responsibility.
She explained that protection and preservation of natural sites, cultural heritage as well as wildlife is important if the future generations can also have the privilege of experiencing same awe-inspiring landscape and cultural traditions that we have been fortunate to experience.
While welcoming the visitors to the event, the Head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality of the institution, Prof. M.O Apata expressed her profound appreciation for the collaboration that has continued to exist between the department and the tourism sector of the State.
In his welcome speech, the Leader of the National Tourism Students’ Association, EKSU chapter, Mr. James Abodunrin commended Ekiti State Government for the replicating the decision of the Federal Government to separate tourism from arts and culture.
Abodunrin called on the Oyebanji-administration to create space for family-friendly parks in its urban planning and renewal policies. This, he said, would attract investors and further promote tourism and recreation.
Abodunrin also urged the government of the State to strengthen the existing collaboration between public and private arms of the State tourism sector.
He called for a policy framework that would ensure a remarkable level of professionalization of the sector to create jobs for tourism and hospitality graduates and further encourage student enrolment in tourism and hospitality education.
The message of the General Secretary of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili was delivered by the representative for the National Tourism Development Agency for Ondo and Ekiti States, Reverend Ebenezer Adetoye.
The UNWTO scribe described tourism as an ecconomic pillar playing central roles in the societies and homes. He called for investment support for tourism saying that the theme of this year’s edition was timely and underscores the exigent need to create enabling environment for investment to help sustain tourism at this time.
Others who graced the occasion include members of the Ekiti State Tourism Bureau, and the State coordinators of Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) Dr. Femi Adedipe and the National Associations of Tourism Operators (NATOP), Mr. Jide Fajuyi.
Dr. Adedipe described the creation of separate government establishment for Tourism at both the State and federal levels as an extended hope of employment for tourism graduates.
He therefore congratulated students who would graduate to benefit from the positive change.
By Adebanji Oyinade-Adelusi
Director, Tourism Development.
Ekiti Tourism & Hospitality News 