Moses Boyo
Port Harcourt, May 18, 2016 – The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies has called on the present administration in Rivers State to develop some tourism sites in the state to boast the economy of the state.
The National Chairman of NANTA, Steven Isokariari who stated this shortly after the Dubai Tourism Workshop in Port Harcourt commended the Regional Director of Dubai Tourism Board, Mrs Stell Fubara Obinwa for bringing Dubai Tourism to Rivers and other states in the country.
Isokariari also commended Dubai Tourism board for taking some travel agencies on a trip to Dubai last month, stating that the tour has created more awareness for Nigerian tourists and that it has inspired agents to redouble their efforts.
“We are happy because Dubai tourism Point head is from Rivers state. It is now left for us, the travel agencies to sale Dubai. It is not by selling Dubai to traders, but sell Dubai to those who really wants to get out of the hustling and bustling nature of Nigeria. Sell Dubai to those who wants to rest having worked hard for some time in their various offices. Dubai has everything it takes for holidays’’, he said.
The Tour operator however said Dubai is supposed to be a desert but that the government of that country has been able to develop it today and made it attractive to investors and others round the world.
‘’ Today Dubai has one of the biggest aquarium standing on the ground. Dubai is where you have a hot desert, and you have escaping hall, coming out with ice on the ground. The people have spent their money wisely and I want to believe that if River state is able to emulate such, so that the state can attract foreigners who will come and spend their money and all the businesses in the state will grow.
‘’Before now Port Harcourt was a place were Lagosians come to spend weekends but today such attractions are no more because of insecurity’’, he noted.
He urged the present governments from the top to the states to forget party politics and change Nigeria for better.
‘’ We came to presidential Hotel to enjoy Dubai tourism, when do we go outside Nigeria and sell Nigerian tourism. Our tourist sites are better than what other countries have, but we have successfully failed to develop and harness them’’, he noted.
He regretted that the nation has problems of shrink balance, our monies are going out, our dollars going out, none seem to be coming in.
The NANTA Boss condemned merging tourism ministry with Ministry of Information, stating that Tourism should be alone because of its potentials in generating revenue and developing the country.
Isokariari disclose that tourism alone can employ millions of Nigerians if properly harnessed, stressing that his association alone has over a million in their employments. According to him, ‘’we have a thousand six hundred agencies under us NANTA, and each must employ people.
