By Rotimi Ijikanmi
The Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja inaugurated a Technical Committee for the Review of the nation’s Tourism Master Plan.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said government was committed to moving tourism from the margin to the mainstream of the nation’s economy.
He said the committee would review the nation’s tourism master plan to conform with the current trends and go a long way in repositioning the tourism sector.
The minister recalled that the past administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo realised the need to develop the tourism sector and put up a master plan for the country in 2005.
According to him, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) made huge contributions to the development of the master plan.
He, however, regretted that committee set up to develop framework for the implementation of the master plan failed in its assignment and that nothing was done to bring the plans to fruition.
The minister said that during his recent visit to the headquarters of UNWTO in Madrid, Spain, the world tourism body volunteered to assist the country in the review of the master plan.
He disclosed that a team of experts from UNWTO would arrive in the country on Dec. 4 and work with the committee in the review process.
The minister said government believed in the capability of members of the committee, stressing that the UNWTO experts would only assist them to achieve a globally acceptable master plan for the country.
Some members of the committee are Chief Timi Akingbogun, Dr Paul Adaliku, Dare Awoseni, Bankole Bernard and representatives of UNESCO and some federal ministries.
