By Omorisiefe Gloria
It was a gathering of who-is-who in the country’s tourism industry, as well as those from the entertainment, arts and culture sectors, as Lagos State Government recently hosted a one-day tourism summit.
The session, which is in line with the its commitment to cause a major shift in marketing the tourism and creative potential inherent across the State, was held at the Eko Hotel & Suite, Victoria Island, Lagos, with former president of Ghana John Mahama as keynote speaker.
The summit, which was held under the theme, Destination Lagos: Towards A Sustainable Tourism-Driven Economy, created a platform for experts and stakeholders in the sector to make input into the proposed Lagos State Tourism Master Plan, which is being prepared to drive tourism development in the state, as well as set the tone for repositioning Lagos as a majority destination.
Aside the main theme for discourse, the summit, which featured paper presentations by renowned stakeholders in the tourism business, panel discussions involving heads of tourism agencies and big players in the sector, also tackled other topics such as Exploring the Lagos Tourism Eco-system for Economic and Social Benefits; Financing tourism: the path and possibilities for Lagos State, and M.I.C.E, Creative Content as Tourism Industry panacea.
Particularly, Prof. Ibukunoluwa Ayodele of the University of Ibadan delivered the lead paper, while the Minister for Information, Tourism and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed spoke on Tourism as the new oil.
In his opening remarks, Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode said the summit further demonstrates the government’s commitment to finding alternative platforms that can enrich Lagos and propel its prosperity continuously.
In his opening remarks, Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode said the summit further demonstrates the government’s commitment to finding alternative platforms that can enrich Lagos and propel its prosperity continuously.
“Just a week ago, we held a security summit at this venue. Today, this tourism summit furthers demonstrates our commitment to find alternative platforms that can enrich our state. We are very proud of our culture and heritage; there’s nobody that is going to tell the story of the black people if Lagos doesn’t stand up to tell that story,” he said.
According to the Governor, the Lagos State Tourism Master Plan is one of the legacies his administration is determined to bequeath to Lagosians and coming generations.
“We’ve put tourism at the core of our growth strategy at this point in the development of this state, laying a solid foundation for a continued prosperity of Lagos and Lagosians.
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