The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has advised members of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) to wake up and embrace promoting and marketing of Nigeria’s rich culture.
The Director-General of NCAC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, gave the advice during the visit of NANTA executives, led by the President, Mrs Susan Akporiaye to his Abuja office on Monday.
The media aide of Runsewe’s, Mr Frank Meke, made this known in a statement.
Runsewe said that Nigerian culture was one of the oldest in the world and needed marketing communication initiatives that could unveil its iconic content to the world as the country was yet to experience the fullness of its diversity.
“Under our National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) we at NCAC have strategically unveiled the best of Nigeria festivals under one roof.
“We want NANTA with its massive presence across the six geopolitical zones of the country to partner with us and create another string of income for your members,” he said.
Runsewe said that NANTA members had no business bemoaning the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global travel trade business.
He said that greater opportunities lied in exploring and exploiting the rich cultural tourism resources of Nigeria both for domestic and foreign tourism engagements.
He urged the association to send its best team forward to be part of the planning committee for 2021 NAFEST to be held in Ekiti State in October.
He assured that NANTA would be provided a marketing pavilion during the celebration of the iconic festival to enable its members reach out to target audience.
Mrs Susan Akporiaye, the NANTA President in her opening remarks, said that NANTA had taken note of the openness and open door policy of NCAC toward engaging the private sector, particularly NANTA members.
She said that the association was wearing two strategic caps in the aviation sector and in tourism.
She said that the association’s presence needed deeper understanding and interpretation beyond the mundane, indicative of the futuristic culture tourism signposts which must be fully exploited.
“We are here to assure you sir that we can help advance a refreshing cause for cultural tourism promotion in an uncommon way.
“And with our focal engagement as travel trade operators, which has placed us in a unique position more than any other tourism trade group in Nigeria.
“We can definitely change the narratives of Nigerian cultural tourism business,” she said.