Posted by By WILLY EYA on
As part of efforts to boost the nation's tourism potentials, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is set to introduce an electronic tourism card even as it has initiated a pilot project to provide every state with at least 150 mobile toilets.
As part of efforts to boost the nation's tourism potentials, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is set to introduce an electronic tourism card even as it has initiated a pilot project to provide every state with at least 150 mobile toilets.
Making this disclosure, Director General of NTDC , Mr. Segun Runsewe said the tourist pay card which will be facilitated by United Bank for Africa (UBA) is unique and would help to protect visitors who want to explore the nation's tourism potentials.
'If you go to any ATM machine, if you push it in with the right number, money will be made available to you" Runsewe said, adding, 'the card is unique because it will check and protect tourists from losing their money to thieves".
He said that with the adoption of the cards, Nigeria has embraced e-tourism like other developing countries of the world.
'The tourist card will beat everybody hands down. It recognizes ATM machines, it recognizes POS machines and at worst, you can take it to any UBA branch and you get your money," he added.
He regretted that the nation over the years neglected her tourism sector despite the fact that it has remained the mainstay of at least 17 African countries.
'The truth is that we cannot continue to depend on the oil sector. I am determined to make sure that Nigeria gets her own share as a tourist destination in the global village," he stated.
He said that the corporation would complement the efforts of the Federal government by providing jobs in the tourism sector but reasoned that for the country to exploit its potentials, she must provide the enabling environment. Towards this, he said that every state in the country would be provided mobile toilets to ensure a healthy environment.
' Nobody wants to buy a flight ticket and go to a country that is filthy or a place that you will be exposed to all sorts of health hazards," Runsewe said.
He stressed the need to make tourism a key economic focus of the government stating that its development would open up the country to the world.
Runsewe noted that every state in Nigeria has its peculiar tourism potentials where it enjoys some comparative advantage over others.
He said that NDTC would want Nigeria to be like Dubai but identified epileptic power supply and comatose railway system as impediments to its realization. He therefore called for the rehabilitation of the nation's railways saying that this would reduce the level of unemployment in Nigeria.
He noted that 39 per cent of railway workers in London come from Nigeria insisting that the sector was a major employer of labour.