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As the Federal Government seeks diverse ways of expanding the country’s economic base, digital marketing and branding of tourist and heritage sites across the country has been identified as a major strategy that could grow the tourism sector, attract huge investment running into billions in Nigeria’s tourism sector.
Industry analysts say the initiative is the fastest means of connecting the global audience and the product, while also attracting huge investment into Nigeria’s tourism sector.
Speaking with BusinessDay in an exclusive interview, Folorunsho Folarin Coker, director-general of Nigeria Tourism Development Commission (NTDC), says the sector is a huge market, adding that digital market of major heritage sites by sub-national government across the country is the fastest ways to connect the product and the consumers while reaching the global audience.
The director-general, who is not deterred by Nigeria’s security concerns across the country, notes that Nigeria is still one of the best tourism destination centres across the continent, since its position as Africa’s largest economy exposes it to so many tourists that come to do business transactions and seek relaxation spots across the country.
“Despite our challenge, Nigeria is not the murder capital of the world. Investors still come in here to do business and also explore our tourism sector. There are statistics and data to back up this,” he says.
Giving further insight into digital impact on tourism sites across the country, he notes, “The stigma of insecurity is not synonymous with Nigeria. Travel is good for business and Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy .Travel and business are part of tourism package, hence if there is a digital packaging of our tourism business, given the number of tourism site we have in Nigeria, we could attract huge investment into the sector.”
He maintained that Nigeria is blessed with huge tourist and heritage sites, which pre-disposes it to numerous tourism opportunities
“We are lucky to have very many rich sites. There is a 2000 years old Bridge in Benue state, you also mentioned about the Osun Osogbo festival. God has blessed us with several heritage sites, it is left for us to maximise the opportunities.”
He pointed out, “There has to be an investment in infrastructure. For instance, the Osun State government has to invest in the digital branding of Osun-Osogbo festival to attract investors, coupled with brands that will sell.”
He notes further, “The digital revelation we are going through now globally is the blessing of the tourism sector in Nigeria, even as he noted that it has allowed us a platform to tell the tourism story of over 250 ethnic group across the country, the way it ought to be told.”
“This is what we are selling to stakeholders such as the sub-national governments,to interweave business and social travel package and sell the digital content to the global world.From arrival from the Airport, the vehicle that will transmit the person to hospitality sector, to the food, drinks tourist sites. All these could be put in a package and sell to would be investors.”
He reveals further that some states are already exploring the opportunities in partnership in creating a tourism brand.
“Imo state, for instance, is partnering Dana Air, and Akwa Ibom goes into full hub with Ibom Air to explore that tourism aspect of Air travel.
“Travel is good for business, religion, family engagement. A fundamental infrastructure that is required for the complete range of human activity is transport. It is first indices of tourism that must be fixed. In the business of travel how do you do it.
“An Ibom package that could be done with Air travel, tour, Uber for land travels could be done into one package and marketed to the people for the future,” he notes further
