In commemoration of the World Tourism Day, an Ibadan based Tourism Company, Capricorn Concierge Tourism on Friday, organized a workshop for youths in the South West.
The training which has over 200 participants drawn from different part of the region exposed the youths to opportunities in the industry and how they can make money through tourism.
While delivering lectures at the event held at Federal Secretariat Conference Hall,Ikolaba Ibadan, the guest lecturers, Prince Gani Adebiyi and Dr Mrs Joan Mary Ogiogwa dwelled extensively on the need for government to create conducive environment for private investors in the sector. This according to them will create jobs and enhance creativity.
Prince Adebiyi, a former Vice President, Federation of Tourism Practitioners Association of Nigeria, (FTAN) in his paper titled “Tourism and Jobs, Better Future For All” said, the tourism industry is driven by the private sector and what government needs to do is to provide an enabling environment for the private investors to thrive in the sector. He highlighted some ways government at all levels can provide an enabling environment.
He said “We want to see a situation where government will give loans to tourism companies, reduce taxes, develop tourism attractions and put in place infrastructure and basic amenities”.
Also speaking, the Managing Director Capricorn Concierge Tourism Company, Mr Tayo Araoye, in his keynote address said domestic tourism is not migrant business. He said that poor participation in the domestic tourism is one of the causes of unemployment in Nigeria because other industries have limited space for jobs.
Araoye further said “This program is awareness for the youths to expose, enlighten them and after the seminar we engage them in training. This will enable them to acquire different kind of skills”
In a Similar Development, Oyo state government has promised to create conducive environment for tourism to thrive and use it as a tool for economic empowerment and revenue generation.
The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon Wasiu Olatubosun disclosed this while speaking at the 2019 Edition of World Tourism Day held at the House of Chiefs, Ibadan.
Olatubosun while blaming the past administration for negligence said the government of Engineer Seyi Makinde will not leave any stone untouched in tapping into the economic potentials of tourism in the state.
He said “We have 115 tourism sites in the state and if the major ones were developed by the past government to international standard there will be job opportunities for our youths”
The event which was the first official assignment for the newly inaugurated Tourism Board was attended by the Chairman of Oyo Tourism Board, Surveyor Debo Adejumobi, his Vice, Alhaji Abass Oloko, and other members of the council
Highlight of the event included presentation of lecture by Professor Lameed G. A., Head of Department, Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, University of Ibadan, Cultural Display by the State Cultural Troupe and others.
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