ABEOKUTA — The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Ogun state, Hon. Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye-Oladapo has admitted that it is a must for the government to rethink Tourism which will require restructuring business models so that they put people first.
Adijat stated this on Tuesday in a message been delivered onbehalf of the Secretary General of United Nations World Tourism Organization UNWTO at The 45th World Tourism day 2022 with the theme “Rethinking Tourism” held at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta the Ogun state capital.
Hon. Adijat noted that, Tourism has been playing vital roles in many sectors with positive effects. And has always worked for young people, women and communities.
She added that, there is need for new things to change the form and faces of the Tourism.
“Tourism day has always been a chance to come together and celebrate the many and varied accomplishments of our sector. For the best part of four decades, we celebrated Tourism’s unparalleled growth in size, in reach and in significance. However, this especially we also recognize that we cannot go back to the old ways of working. We must rethink Tourism,” she said.
“Rethinking one of the world’s major economic will not be easy. But we are already well on the way. Crisis has inspired and catalyzed creativity. And the pandemic accelerated the transformation of work, bringing both challenges as well as enormous opportunity to ensure even more people get to benefit from Tourism’s restart. We are also making significant progress in making Tourism a central driver of the green, the blue an the digital economies; ensuring growth does not come at the expense of people or planet,: she added.
In his speech, the Director General of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, Folounsho Coker represented by Akinsanya Abdul Azeez disclosed how COVID19 pandemic has affected Tourism negatively. And how the Tourism has impacted in people’s life.
“Of all sectors of the economy, Tourism took the worst blow from the covid-19 pandemic, and this has in turn highlighted the critical need to transform the tourism industry as global tourism slowly recovers.
“The theme for this year, “Rethinking Tourism”, deepens the narrative on the relevance of Tourism as one of the vital economic sectors globally; it remains the largest employer of labour, providing livelihoods to millions of people, most notably women and youth. It is a factor in the conservation of natural and cultural heritage and curbing urban migration, among others. Tourism’s economic and social footprint is greater than that of any economic sector.
In his good will message, the speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunke Oluomo said before the Tourism can improve in Ogun state, government should endeavor to sponsor people to travel out of country and showcase the culture and heritage of the State that will motivate foreign tourist in to Ogun state.
