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Culture and Tourism

ITPN, UNWTO Harps On Digitalization Of Tourism Operations, Collaborates With Communication Ministry

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Joel Ajayi

In addressing current challenges and trends of the tourism industry, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is focusing on innovation, education, digital transformation and investments as strategies to apply in generating new business opportunities that will ensure global competitiveness, growth and sustainable development of the tourism sector.

This is in line with the vision and objectives of the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili as part of his new priorities to harness innovation and digital advances that will provide tourism with the opportunities to improve inclusiveness, local community empowerment and efficient resource management within a wider sustainable development agenda.

Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, National President, ITPN

To achieve the set objectives, the UNWTO is proposing hosting of forums by sectoral stakeholders of the industry across the globe at local, national, regional and international levels to create synergy through collaborative actions between governments, academia, corporate organizations, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), investors, business support partners, etc., to provide understanding of current social trends and customer needs.

Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General – UNWTO

Back here in Nigeria, the Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN) is catching in on the digital transformation quest of the UNWTO to drive the nation’s tourism industry with a collaborative partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and its agencies aimed at, not only to serve the digitalization needs of the tourism industry, but help achieve the goals of the Ministry in the promotion of digitalization in every sector of the Nigerian economy.

National President of ITPN, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo who revealed this to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, noted that as part of the Institute’s efforts to promote the use of digital technologies for the benefit of tourism operations in the country, it will focus part of its promotional activities more on ways and means of harnessing innovation and digital advances that will provide opportunities for inclusiveness, local community empowerment and efficient resource management in the tourism industry of the country as envisaged by the UNWTO.

He noted that within the scope of the sustainable development agenda as the focal point of global attention in line with the UNWTO program, ITPN will explore all avenues to drive the Nigerian tourism digitalization process through creative innovation and entrepreneurship that will maximize the potentials of the sector in terms of economic growth, job creation and sectorial sustainable development.

The Institute for Tourism Professionals of Nigeria is the Nigerian premier national certification and professional membership body for hospitality, travel-tourism and allied occupations. It represents members working in the public, private and non-profit making organizations which ensures the highest standards of professional competence of practitioners in the Nigerian tourism industry.

Driving the advances of digitalization of the Nigerian tourism industry the Institute further hopes to come up with a forum specifically dedicated to tourism tech adventures where key players and critical stakeholders in the industry are expected to brainstorm and key into such activities as investment fora, startups boot-camps, one-on-one networking between startups and investors, etc., all geared towards creating a digital operation climate for the Nigerian tourism industry.

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Culture and Tourism

Cross River govt signs over N2bn deal on entertainment centre

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The Government of Cross River State, through one of its agencies, the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, signed an expandable N2 billion deal on Friday with a development partner, Blake Excellency Resort Limited, for the establishment of a one-stop entertainment centre.


The Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong, revealed that the entertainment centre would be located in the Tortulga Island area of the Marina Resort, which has remained deserted for the past two decades.


He described the investment as an additional benefit because it would take people off the streets while providing more than 200 job opportunities for the state’s people.

He stressed that the state’s revenue would increase.


Ojoi maintained that the state is ready to open up to business and is willing to cooperate with any investor who can create job opportunities and significantly develop the state’s economy.On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Blake Excellency Resort Limited, Mr. Uzochukwu Akunedozi, said the entertainment center would accommodate kids, youths, and senior citizens.


He noted that the facilities expected in the entertainment center include a dining restaurant, lounge, a pool, boat cruise, water slides, gaming center for kids, and a floater that can accommodate 50 to 60 people who wish to celebrate their birthdays or any events on top of the water, among other features.


“Blake Resort is meant for entertainment; it has hosted people from across the globe, and the testimonies are there to verify. We are here to add value to what has been done in Cross River State. I’m excited because I feel privileged to be part of what the Cross River State government is doing, which is tourism, and without an iota of doubt, Cross River State is the number one tourist destination in West Africa.


“I’m in a hurry to deliver, and I’m in a hurry to do more than I have said. Our duty is to exceed your expectations. We are looking at between now and October; we should be hitting the ground running”, he added.


Witnessing the signing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on general duties, Barrister Ekpenyong Akiba, expressed satisfaction with the partnership deal and assured that the state government would continue to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state

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