WTD 2022: Onung Urges FG to Rethink Level of Funding for Tourism

Justina Uzo

Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the World Tourism Day (WTD) on Tuesday, September 27, a day set aside to celebrate tourism.

The private sector operators in the country, under the umbrella of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) marked the 2022 World Tourism Day celebrations at the waterfront in Tarkwa Bay beach in Lagos State.

It was also an occasion when FTAN honoured three leading figures in tourism promotion, including Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Nura Sani Kangiwa; and Mrs. Margaret Fabiyi.

Speaking on 2022 theme, “Rethinking Tourism”, the President of FTAN, Mr. Nkereuwem Onung called on the federal government to rethink the level of investment and funding for tourism in Nigeria through increased budget allocation.

He also urged the federal government to rethink merging tourism parastatals, but rather to empower them to meet their mandates or better still give tourism a stand-alone ministry.

FTAN President noted that it was time for Nigeria to have a tourism master plan and rejig its tourism policies, if they exist.

For him, the special Day is a time to come together to celebrate the many and varied accomplishments of the sector.

He said: “Today, we celebrate the resilience and survival of the industry and her investments from the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. Let me also salute the resilience and courage of the tourism communities and sympathize with those who lost their jobs, money, and businesses the world over.

This year, the city of Bali in Indonesia plays host to the world for World Tourism Day 2022. In his official message in preparing to host this year’s WTD, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said 

“The pandemic highlighted the critical need to transform the tourism industry.”

Onung observed that tourism in Nigeria had suffered during the pandemic and is still suffering post-pandemic. He said the crisis has inspired and catalysed creativity and accelerated the transformation of work bringing both challenges as well as enormous opportunities to ensure even more people get to benefit from tourism restart.