In pursuance of its commitment to cause a major shift in marketing the tourism and creative potential inherent across the State, the Lagos State Government is set to hold a tourism summit to enrich the masterplan being prepared for the tourism industry in Lagos.
The summit with the theme: “Destination Lagos: Towards A Sustainable Tourism-Driven Economy” is scheduled to hold on Monday, 16th April, 2018 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, who disclosed this at a Press Briefing held on Tuesday at the Secretariat, Alausa, declared that the forthcoming summit is designed to provide useful content for the tourism roadmap that is poised to transform the vision of the State in becoming one of the foremost tourism destinations in Africa
The Commissioner stated further that the summit aligns with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s desire to invest in human capital and infrastructure in order to encourage creativity and promotion of great minds in arts, entertainment, culture and tourism in the State.
Answering questions on the relevance of the event, Ayorinde revealed that the summit is crucial to intimate key players in the tourism industry to the achievements of the present administration in same since inception, as well as engage them in determining the follow-up strategy to develop a master plan for the industry.
In his words, “The Summit will list out in specific terms the interventions that are needed in producing a masterplan that will assist in shaping the tourism sector in Lagos State in the next 15 to 20 years”.
He added that the commitment of the Lagos State Government to tourism and cultural promotion had been a deliberate plan derived from a visionary study of the population trend and analysis of what sector would better absorb the teeming youth population, reduce poverty and crime as well as create jobs with multiplier effects on other sectors.
Affirming the significance of the Summit, the Commissioner stated that encouraging existing practitioners and stakeholders with institutional support and sustaining hope of investors in the sector would require a more strategic and proactive approach, hence the need to invite all critical stakeholders under one roof to deliberate on the common goal of raising the bar of Tourism promotion in Lagos State.
“The idea of this Lagos Tourism Summit, therefore, is part of our inclusive agenda to allow all stakeholders contribute to the ongoing tourism masterplan being put together by Messrs Ernst and Young on behalf of the Lagos State Government”, Ayorinde emphasised.
He further disclosed that the summit will be enriched by paper presentations by renowned stakeholders in the tourism business, panel discussions and a keynote address by Mr. John Mahama, the former President of the Republic of Ghana.
The Commissioner averred that the gathering will provide a rare opportunity to engage with stakeholders, professionals, leading academics and scholars, researchers in the tourism, culture, arts and entertainment industry, local and foreign media practitioners to debate, exchange ideas, deliberate and chart a way forward for Lagos tourism industry.
Also speaking at the briefing, a representative of Ernst Young, Mr. Adewale Adereti, stated that the strategic intention of developing and transforming tourism, culture and entertainment in the state requires input from relevant stakeholders and as such a summit is critical to fully explore the possibilities that the sector offers so that the Masterplan that will be produced will reflect the need of the industry.
Adewale said as a visionary and committed leader, Governor Ambode is developing a robust tourism industry that will outlive the current administration and place the city on the tourism industry map as a preferred destination of choice.
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