Tourism Can Promote Economic Diversification in Recession, Says Expert

Ugo Aliogo

As part of efforts to promote diversification of the economy, the federal government has being advised to shift its focus to growing and stengthening the potentials of the tourism sector, stressing that the sector has the potential to boost growth as seen from the experiences of leading economies in the world.

Addressing journalists at a media briefing in Lagos yesterday, during a tour of the facilities at the HI-Impact Planet Amusement Park and Resort, the Chief Executive Officer of Solution Media and Infotech Limited, the parent company of HI-Impact Planet Amusement Park and Resort, Adeyanju Lipede, said the sector is a major source of foreign exchange in a recession period.
He then urged government to take advantage of the sector through investment and offering of tax rebate to investors in the sector.

He lamented that the amount of forex Nigerians spend on recreation oversees is very huge, while assuring the public of the company’s commitment to replicate the experiences Nigerians have during their oversees vacation to Disney world in America and other places.

“In the face of the ongoing foreign exchange challenge, it is will be a blessing for us to create alternatives so that people don’t need to spend foreign exchange; therefore this led us to create the standard that we have here. What we are doing here is to give our customers alternatives that can match their foreign demands,” he noted.
He explained that the amusement park has a lot to offer families, groups and individuals during the Christmas period and other times such as the games, rides, the 12D cinema, fully equipped clinic, spa centre, gym complex, lounge, and other facilities at affordable prices.

Lipede added that in dealing with the issue of steady power supply to the park, they are have acquired Independent Power Plant (IPP) and they have also provided independent generators to power the ride games and other facilities, stressing that they are not on the national grid.

He said: “In December, we are unfolding new products. We are trying to create holiday adventure for our customers. We want people to have holiday adventure. At the moment we have put together a self-service apartment to allow visitors who wish to cook their own food. We have operated effectively in the United Kingdom and the Middle-East under very high standard regulations and we have excelled. In the areas of security, we have excelled. We have British Certified Standard Nurses. One of the problems similar with African sett-ups are: insecurity, power and maintenance.

As part of the events marking the Christmas, the park will be organising the Hi-Impact Blast on December 26, from 5p.m at the Hi-Impact Planet Park in Ibafo, opposite Mountain Top University, which will feature Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Frank Edwards, Steve Crown, Nathaniel Bassey and others.