The Federal Ministry of Tourism in conjunction with National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has moved train tour operators and tour guides in Ekiti State, as part of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s commitment to revive the economy.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of NIHOTOUR, Joesef Karim said that the upskilling training will be held on the 31st of March and the 1st of April 2024 and would be hosted by Ekiti State Bureau for Tourism Development.
The statement added that the training is coming on the heels of the success of the maiden EcoGenesis Incubator training which was held in Makurdi, Benue State.
The EcoGenesis Incubator Series is a sustainable tourism entrepreneurship program that targets residents of tourist host communities including women, youths and small cottage services that form parts of the destination’s experiences for visitors. This is the second edition of the program which is being executed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
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Speaking on the EcoGenesis Incubator training in Ekiti, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Lola Ade-John said, “The capacity of host community tourism and hospitality operators, including tour operators and tour guides, are central to overall destination experiences of tourists, both domestic and inbound tourists.
“Therefore, it is essential that the Government provides facilities for basic training, retraining and upskilling of personnel working in the sector, across the country.”
“With the EcoGenesis Incubator Series, the Government is providing a dynamic platform that will catalyze innovation and drive economic empowerment of citizens and service providers in tourism host communities and destinations.
“This will eventually lift many out of poverty by leveraging on the abundant tourism opportunities inherent in our communities across the Nation.”
Also speaking, the Director General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa said that tour operators and tour guides are the levers of the destination’s tourism push and pull factors in tourism development management globally.
He said, “It is the industry actions of tour operators and tour guides that determine tourists’ arrivals and receipts in host communities. Tourism products, both domestic and inbound, are generally packaged by tour operators and guides resident in the destination.”
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