Emmanuel Ukudolo l Monday, November 18, 2019
LEKKI, Lagos, Nigeria – The Upbeat Centre, Lekki, Lagos was a beehive of activities on Sunday when the first experience centre for Virtual Tourism was launched as part of activities lined up for the Nigerian Travel Week.
The Experience Centre situated right inside the Upbeat Centre gives visitors opportunity to view tourist sites in Nigeria on 3D technology in a very conducive atmosphere. Speaking during the ceremony, Managing Director Skyview Communications, Mr. Femi Lawson said through the centre a tourist will be able to travel to 6 states without having to leave Lagos State.
He explained that virtual tourism is a marketing tool designed to to sell Nigeria as a tourist destination to visitors. While calling on Nigerians to make it a habit to visit tourist sites in the country, he said the best way to sell these sites to visitors is to talk about them in a way that tourists can understand, through video and pictures hence the need for virtual tourism.
“As you sit down here, you have almost six states waiting for you to come and view. Imagine traveling to six states in Nigeria without having to leave Lekki, Lagos. The beautitful thing about it is that it gives opportunities to tourism business”, he said, adding that his organisation is talking to major tourist operators as part of effort to expand the virtual tourism experience.
He thanked managment of Upbeat Centre for giving his organisation opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s tourism potentials and whip up enthusiasm for the actual visit. He described Mrs. Moyo Ogunseinde, the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Upbeat Centre as an individual that is proud to push Nigeria through tourism.
“So wer are proud to be here. Upbeat has opened up the place for us to enjoy ourselves”, he said, stressing that tourism is not growing in Nigeria because those who should are not talking about it.
Chief Executive Officer, Avantgarde Tours, Mr. Efetobo Awana, spoke in glowing terms of managers of the Upbeat Centre, stressing that the management welcomed the project wholehertedly. He explained that a recent report published on tourism in Nigeria shows that Lagos currently has the highest traffic in terms of international visitors in Africa.
“What the average visitor spent is about USD 8, the lowest in Africa, which means, they only come to Nigeria, stay in hotels eat food and leave”, which he said is a far cry from what tourism is all about. Tourism, he explained is basically “for people to empty their pockets in Nigeria that is how you create jobs and improve the economy”, he said.
In her reaction, Moyo Ogunseinde said she was thrilled to learn that virtual tourism exist in Nigeria and that she is happy to be one of those showcasing the various tourist sites in Nigeria, adding that virtual tourism is mindblowing.
Also speaking, Ofure Rita Obidike of SKAL International Lagos, called for interface between operators in the sector and key stakeholders on the need to educate front desk officers in hotels on the need to sell Nigeria as a tourist destination aided by flyers.
“Those in tourism need to come together to educate front desk officers, we need flyers on the front desk in hotels”, she said, adding that what needed to be done is to promote Nigeria as a tourism destination.
In her remarks, Marketing Director West & Central Africa, Carbo Verde Airlines, Chloe Grant described Cape Verde as a beautiful island, with a population of 600,000. She said the airline operates at moderate prices.
Journalists had a fun time making use of the various facility in the Upbeat Centre. There are alot of indoor and outdoor games. The centre hosts a state of the arts gym, a lovely synthetic field customised for 5-aside, a basket ball court and various indoor games that give the visitor opportunity to have fun and loosen up.
The indoor games designed for kids and adults allows you to climb and bounce. It also has a vast car park with a standard restaurant for visitors to unwind while having the best of fun.
