Experts appeal to FG on Eco-tourism sites

Culture and Tourism experts have appealed to the Federal Government to identify, develop and preserve ecotourism sites across the country for further boost the sector and generate revenue.

The experts spoke to our naijaroyaltyculture.blogspot.com correspondent in separate interview in Abuja.

Mrs Christiana Agbo, President of Society of Tourism Experts and Professionals said that ecotourism was an important aspect of tourism that should not be neglected.

“The government can first identify and segment areas in the country that are basically known for Eco-tourism.

“Then such areas should be preserved; you cannot talk about Eco-tourism without preservation of all those natural resources that we have.

“The areas should be develop and improve to a level that it will be good enough to attract tourists or visitors; this can generate revenues for the government,”Agbo said.

She explained that the Pandam Game Reserve in Plateau was a good ecotourism site which had been encroached upon for some time now.
She noted that apart from the reserve being an ecotourism site, it was also a wet land.

“You know most wet lands of the world are basically known for ecotourism and encroachment is negatively affecting the tourism resources of the state; and the reserve is not cater for.”

“I remembered last year, some people from the United Kingdom came to examined the game reserve and see how they can develop it into a research institute for the study of ecotourism.

“During their assessment, they discovered that many unique species were cut down; they were discourage and that was how they left; now nothing is happening there,” Agbo said.

Similarly, Malam Aliyu Badaki, President of Hospitality and Tourism Management of Nigeria, underscored the necessity in preserving ecotourism sites in the country to discourage encroachment.

“The government should strengthen the laws that will guard against encroachment and killing of animals by people. This is making the environment unfriendly.”

“When laws are put in place, ecotourism will be developed and it will attract visitors and tourists from parts of the world,” Badaki said.

Badaki appealed to government to ensure that the overall development of tourism in the country be taken seriously as it had the capacity to replace oil in Nigeria.

Another tourism expert, Chief Tomi Akingbogun, said that government should create an enabling environment for private sector to invest in ecotourism.

Akingbogun said that if government could provide Tourism Development Funds for genuine investors to access at a single digit interest rate, it would culminate to positive growth of the sector.

“Tourism has the potentials to feed Nigerians even without oil; look at the Gambia and other countries, they survive by revenue from their tourism sector.

“Nigeria can do better; government should do the needful and the sector will flourish,”Akingbogun said.

NAN reports that ecotourism is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas.

It means responsible travel to natural areas conserving the environment and improving the well-being of the local people.

NAN