Business
FTAN Seeks Tourism Intervention Fund
The Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) on Saturday called on the Federal Government to set up an intervention fund for the development of the tourism industry.
The Vice President of the association, Mr Tomi Akingbogun, told newsmen in Lagos that the fund would support tourism operators to tap the full potentials of the sector.
“What we are asking government to do is to allocate fund to tourism operators just as it was done in the finance, aviation and other sectors of the economy.
“These funds can then be accessed by those willing to develop the industry and with this, it can provide employment and government can generate a lot of revenue from it.
“Tourism is a long term investment and if this fund is available, it can be given at a lower interest rate to operators to enable them access it and build more tourist centres across the country.’’
Akingbogun said that the fund could also be used to renovate existing tourism facilities in the country, and advised the government to take a cue from Dubai and Kenya, where tourism was a major source of revenue.
“ It is time for government to diversify the economy by developing other sectors such as tourism rather than operating an oil-based economy.
“If you go to Dubai or Kenya, their main source of revenue is tourism and they are using it to develop their countries and their people.’’
He also urged the federal government to implement the master plan on the tourism industry to enable the government to regulate the sector in line with international standard.
“The master plan had been drawn out, but government is yet to implement it.
“The implementation would address a lot of problems facing the sector and ensure that the sector develop its potentials.
“The master plan would also address the problem of many agencies doing the same thing, and it will put the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation on a better platform to control and regulate activities of operators in the sector.”
He said that the mandate of the association was to formulate policies and advise governments at all level on how to develop the tourism sector.