The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), on Thursday inaugurated its Tourism and Creative Industry Trade Group to create sustainable adventure tourism opportunities and networking among members.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Mrs Olayemi John-Mensah, Media/Strategy Officer, ACCI.
Inaugurating the group, Dr Idi Hong, ACCI Vice President on Communication Strategy and External Relations, highlighted the importance of tourism to the development of a country.
According to Hong who is also the Chairman of the group, tourism boosts the revenue of the economy, creates jobs, develops the infrastructure of a country and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.
While pointing out that tourism and travel were broad and unique businesses, Hong said that ACCI designated the trade group to harmonise its various components to achieve desirable result.
Hong said membership of the Tourism and Creative Industry Trade Group had several benefits, including providing platform for marketing, creating a cultural exchange between tourists and local citizens and promoting international connections.
According to him, the platform also helps to put Nigeria on the global map, advocate for industry interest and networking for the advancement of the tourism and creative industry.
“Nigeria has invested so much in the tourism and hospitality sector because that is the soul of the economy.
“We of the private sector are major partners of the government in this push to provide necessary trade and hospitality services for the economy to thrive,’’ Hong said.
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He commended the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), the Minister, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR).
Others are the Hotel Owners’ Forum Abuja (HOFA), Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and the National Council of Art and Culture (NCAC).
Others in the list are the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and other Ministries/Agencies handling Tourism and Hospitality sectors of Nigeria.
The Director-General of ACCI, Victoria Akai informed participants that the only way Nigeria could develop in the aspect of tourism and hospitality was to commit to stronger synergy.
“This entails having powerful collaboration between the travel and hospitality industry, the business community in general together with government,’’ Akai said.
She emphasised the need to leverage innovation to encourage 21st century activities in the trade group, adding that developing new ideas was the way forward to improve tourism and hospitality.
(NAN)
