‘Tourism, Still Primitive In Nigeria’

The Managing Director of Suffy Travels and Tours, Mrs Sally Ukpo, recently said Nigerian tourism industry was still at primitive level but had great potential for growth.

Ukpo, said in an interview in Calabar that for the industry to develop in the country, the Federal Government needed to provide the enabling environment.

“Government is doing its best, no doubt but I think it should do more for tourism if it wants the industry to grow. “The government should provide necessary infrastructure and put other things in place that will make people come into the country and be happy,’’ she said.

She said that  World Tourism Organisation (WTO) had provided certain standards for tourism development.

Ukpo said that conditions and incentives that would engender the development of the sector were given at a recent international conference of WTO in Calabar.

“Some players in the Nigerian tourism industry and government officials were at the conference and we had the opportunity to meet major players and stakeholders in international tourism practice,” she said.

Ukpo called for international intervention in tourism affairs in the country, saying that it would provide the forum for people in the industry to gain more experience.

She stressed the need for community involvement in the industry, saying that cooperative societies could form tourism venture and run it well.

“This is a very important aspect in tourism development, which is still alien to us in this country but I am hoping that the big players in the industry should be able to work with the local people in that regard,’’ she said.