30/07/10, 05:54:49 EDT

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Nigeria: Insecurity Bane of Tourism Decline - DG Nihotours

allafrica.com

The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has identified high level of insecurity as the major cause of tourism declining in Nigeria, just as it called on the Federal Government to improve on the country's security.

The Director General of the NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Munzali Dantata, told Daily Trust in Kano that high rate of crimes is seriously affecting tourism sector in the country and that tourists are worried about the Nigerian's insecurity.

"Political, religious and other related crises are seriously affecting our tourism sector because no foreigner will be attracted while the country is not secure in terms of crisis. Although crime would not be eradicated, if it could be reduced, the sector will move forward," he said.

Answering questions from newsmen at a press breifing, Dantata also said Shari'ah legal system being in use in some northern states will not in anyway affect the tourism sector.

He pointed out that the north-west geopolitical zone of the country being dominated mostly by Muslims, has witnessed some degree of sanity with the introduction of Shari'ah legal system.

He noted that the NIHOTOUR had recently repositioned itself to meet the challenges of its mandate and vision to provide a platform for well trained professional tourism workforce with a view to packaging the tourism potentials in the country.

On the two-day national sensitisation workshop on tourism awareness organised by NIHOTOUR and kicked off yesterday in Kano, Dantata said it was meant for educating the general public on the importance of tourism. The workshop was organised as part of the NIHOTOUR's 20th anniversary, he said.

 Printable Version  | published Sep 04, 2007