…Highlights Destination Ondo at 2025 AGM
With the development of domestic tourism in mind, the National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), is doubling its efforts, amid partnerships with relevant stakeholders to ensure that tourism counts in the Nigerian economy.
One of such efforts at promoting domestic and inbound tourism is the international rotation of its Annual General Meetings (AGM) across willing host-states in the country.
In line with the above, NATOP has moved its 2025 AGM, a non-elective one, to Akure, Ondo State.
Speaking on the development, Bolaji Mustapha, NATOP president, said that her association is poised to sell Ondo as a tourist destination and also to promote other states in Nigeria to boost domestic tourism in generating revenue for locals and government.
The NATOP president, who spoke ahead of the AGM as a special guest at a breakfast meeting of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism’s (ANJET), recently in Lagos, said that the promotion would encourage Nigerians to explore the country and enjoy its rich tourism assets.
Speaking further at the ANJET interactive forum, Mustapha said that the desire to promote Destination Ondo was what informed the decision of NATOP executives to move the 2025 AGM, to Akure, while using the opportunity to thank Lucky Aiyedatewa, governor of Ondo State, for his support towards hosting the AGM.
“For decades now, we have been promoting this destination Nigeria. The effect is coming out now. People are beginning to see and understand those things that we are trying to put out. For our own tenure now, I and the executives, we have been working very hard to identify new tourism sites, and promote them to the world, and also advise the government on how we can actually promote them so that people can have other places to go. We identify and make it a product and put it out to the world,” Mustapha said.
She disclosed that NATOP executives had a meeting with the governor, where he expressed enthusiasm towards the state hosting the tour operators. “We went round to actually see some of the venues we are going to use. We had gone to Ondo town on a familiarisation trip as part of our tradition of visiting states to identify which state that we are going to. We try to identify some products and tell the people in charge how they can improve these sites and make them viable for us to sell.
“We went to La Campagne Forest, Hills and Caves in Ondo town. Wanle Akinboboye took us there. It was mind-blowing for me, for the first time having breakfast on top of a mountain. It is just amazing. That kind of thing, if we have it in South Africa, I am sure all of us will pay our ways to go and see them. Why can’t we promote what we have? Those are the kind inspiring things for me, to say we work with somebody like him to project those types of projects. There are other places but we couldn’t get there. We have Idanre Hills, the Araromi beach front, which the governor told us is the longest coastline in Nigeria. We put it as part of our itinerary that we will be doing at the AGM, and some other beautiful sites. We have the Nibalola Resort, a farm on 500 acres of land, you have a hotel, overlooking a lake, golf course and at the same time, overlooking a farm, which is sitting on a 500 acre, and nobody is talking about it. So, that is our job. That is why we have to go out there. Without NATOP we won’t be able to see all these things. It helps us to see Nigeria and to encourage people to move around the country. Moving around, we realized that even as we are as Nigerians, we don’t know Nigeria, we don’t travel within. Those are the kind of things that we are able to do. We need to start traveling within Nigeria. NATOP is really working very hard to make sure that Destination Nigeria and tourism within Nigeria grows beyond what it is,” she noted further.
Mustapha said that her association is trying to work with a lot of governments and other stakeholders to tell the Nigerian story correctly. “Let us project our positives to the world so that other people can see the positives about the country,” she urged.
Speaking further on the tourism assets in Nigeria and the opportunities, the NATOP president added: “Recently we came back from Akwa Ibom where we attended the FTAN council meeting; It was also an amazing thing out there. A lot is actually happening out there. Experiencing Ibom is a new package. We actually need to experience Akwa Ibom, experience Nigeria. With all that we have, you start asking the question why am I going to pay my way to visit one Sun City in South Africa, or others. Akwa Ibom is another destination to sell. I will also add to it the Ilorin Durbar. It is coming up, and I am working with the committee chairman on that. There are some packages that I am selling, telling people to come and watch. This year, the beautiful thing about the Ilorin Durbar is that they are showcasing authentic culture. You see where people wear that attire, riding horses; you will see it live. It happens on the third day after Eid. The package is Explore Kwara: A thirst of Kwara with GET Centre. It will happen around that time. We need to start talking about all these things.”
Mustapha also said that promoting Nigeria as a tourist destination comes with its own challenges. “Some of these sites need to be developed and upgraded. That is why the government needs to work closely with the stakeholders. The stakeholders are the ones liaising with the tourists. At the end of the day, when we go, we identify those products and we promote them. You will find out that when these places are being renovated or upgraded, they exclude the input of stakeholders, which is one major issue that we have. That is one of the things that the government needs to look into critically, that is working with the stakeholders in the industry.
“The people on ground need to also know about the business of tour operation and know that a tour operator is there for business. They should not get the same rate as what anybody can come in and get. It doesn’t work that way. There is nowhere in the world that you, the tour operator, pay an entrance fee with the guests you bring to the site. These are some of the things we are trying to educate those in charge of these sites on, even the hotel owners. Although some are beginning to understand that tour operators are actually the ones doing the job, and as such, let us give them some discounts. Before, there was nothing like that. We are hoping that we will get more people to work with us.”
