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ATA
Ecotourism |
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Nigeria
to Host Africa Travel Association 10th
Ecotourism Symposium The
10th Africa Travel Association Ecotourism
Symposium will be held in Nigeria's
Atlantic Coast resort town of historic
Calabar, November 15 through 20,
2006
A
joint announcement was made by Dr. O.J.
Eboreime, Director General of the Nigerian
Tourism Development Corporation and Mr.
Edward Bergman, Executive Director of the
Africa Travel Association
(ATA).
The
Symposium is being presented under the
auspices of President Olusegun Obasanjo,
who is expected to open the conclave; and
Minister of Culture & Tourism, Chief
Olufemi Fani-Kayode.
With
the advent of direct and scheduled flights
from the U.S. to Nigeria, select number of
Nigerian leisure destinations are being
opened for the international tourist
market" stated Dr. Eboreime and added,
"Calabar on the Atlantic Coast is a major
one, its advanced tourist infrastructure
and diversity of leisure options,
including the major resort Tinapa being
completed for a March 2007 opening, will
serve as an ideal entry by Nigeria to the
international travel market. Governor
Donald Duke, of Cross River State, where
Calabar is the capital, will be the
official host of the five day, engrossing
dialog of Africa's and Nigeria's
tourism."
Continued Nigeria
is a vast country with about 932, 768 sq.
km land mass, located wholly within the
tropics. The country, aptly described as
the "Giant of Africa" is richly endowed
with ecological and cultural
resources." Nigeria:
A tourism destination full of
challenges I
had the wonderful opportunity to
participate in a Familiarization (FAM)
Tour to Nigeria, West Africa this past
October as a member of Tourism Consortium
International (TCI). The overall purpose
of this trip was to experience the level
of readiness of Nigeria's travel and
tourism infrastructure to include its
hotel accommodations, air and road
transportation, hospitality amenities and
security services. This journey was made
possible by the efforts of Chief Margaret
B. Fabiyi, Nigeria's ASTA Chapter
President, who was able to have KLM Royal
Dutch Airlines and the Nigerian Tourism
Development Corporation (NTDC) co-sponsor
the two-week program. Click
here
or on above photos for more pictures and
captions. Two
weeks of
discovery Contact
the Nigeria Tourism Development
Corporation "The
potential role of the tourism sector as a
major instrument for socio-economic
development cannot be overemphasized.
These potentials cannot be realised unless
our numerous tourist attractions are well
developed, packed and promoted, with
diligent attention to security and welfare
of visitors. Nigeria Tourism Official web
site is set to serve as the mouth piece of
stakeholders in the pushing for positive
changes in this all-important sector. You
are therefore, invited to be part of this
exciting development." Bagadry
and the Slave Route Abuja,
the Federal Capital Nigeria
Tourism Nassawara
and Bauchi States Jos and
Plateau State Abia
'God's Own' State While
in Abia State, we also visited the land of
the Igbo people and were exposed to
several impressive welcoming festivals
full of sounds, colors and sights. We also
had the opportunity to visit several
historic sites that are becoming
recognized by the Nigerian people as
extremely important to their ancestor's
involvement and participation in the
infamous slave trade. One very important
site, which evoked strong emotional
reactions, was the Museum of Antiquities
Ujari in Arochukwu. Relics found here were
collected through trade by barter with the
slave traders. Most fascinating are the
1892 big bell, cannons, ancient
chandeliers, large metal gongs, slave
chains, hand and leg cuffs, brass plates,
basins, buckets and silver jugs all
believed to be from the slave trade era.
My impression of these developing sites is
that given the proper amount of research
and resources, they could easily compete
with the more frequently visited slave
heritage sites of Senegal, Benin and Ghana
in West Africa. Osun
State and River Hospitality
and Protocol Helen
C. Broadus is the President of Venue
International Professionals, Inc. (VIP) a
full-service travel and tourism consulting
firm based in the Washington Metropolitan
Area. She is a member of the Africa Travel
Association (ATA) and currently serves as
the International Secretary of the
organization. She can be contacted at
1-877-TO-VENU Contact
the Nigeria Tourism Development
Corporation |