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With news of the second wave of the pandemic hitting hard in Nigeria, there are rumours of another lockdown in view. It seems tourism is about to take another major hit this year. But it doesn’t have to halt tour activities for those who can get involved. Tour activities do not refer to travelling only. According to tourismteacher.com, tourism essentially refers to the activities undertaken by visitors.
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To enjoy tourism is to enjoy exploring the world around you. You don’t always have to travel to another state or out of Nigeria to get the feel of tourism. You just need to look at the experiences you’ve had on previous tours and engage in the ones that bring you joy when you travel. Whenever you go on a tour, there are some activities that elevate the tourism experience and cause you to feel alive again. We have listed a few you should incorporate into your tourism experience this year below.

Hiking

To hike is to take a long walk, either for pleasure or for exercise. Hiking is not meant to be stressful. All you need is to improve your stamina so you can go the distance. During your hike, you need to absorb the sights and sounds of the surrounding environment. This is what makes hiking a tour activity. For instance, if you are hiking in a National Park like Cross River National Park, the goal is not to get to a certain point on the trail. It is to breathe in the fresh air, admire the creatures in the park and take in the colours all around you. Watch the way the light streams through the canopy of leaves shading the forest floor and how it hits the leaves and illuminates the colourful flowers. Listen to the sounds of nature humming, buzzing and chirping all around you and let tranquillity settle in your mind. This is called forest bathing. If you are hiking on rocky terrain, admire the rock formations, the contours of the rock, notice the composition and details of the environment. These are what make hiking memorable. You can hike in a plantation, conservation centre, or on a mountain range. You can even hike in cities (that is an urban tour). How? Go to any part of a city and walk around it, taking in the activities and culture of that environment. Not only is hiking good for your health, but you will also come away enlightened and renewed.

Food Tasting Tours

So restaurants with fine dining may have capacity restrictions this year, thanks to COVID. They may also have increased pricing because of the recession and inflation. No worries. A true foodie knows no limitations. Luckily, in Nigeria, we have numerous tribes, each with their own delicacy.
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With online businesses and delivery services, you can order food from any vendor who is skilled at making other culture’s meals. E.g. if you are in Lagos, you can order for afang, oha or black soup online and have it delivered to you. You don’t have to stick to eating only efo riro, ewedu or ewa agoyin.  You can also get take-out from vendors serving different delicacies like fish and chips, roasted plantain (bole), or Chinese fried rice with prawn sauce.

Engaging in Arts and Crafts

There are fun activities that make tourism creative and exciting. Remember the feeling you have when you walk into an art gallery or a museum? It is all marvel and awe as the tour guide explains the origin and history of art pieces. To have this feeling again, you can spend more time in places where history and art and crafts collide. Visit craft markets or textile making companies, museums, art studios, and galleries. You can participate in a painting session where everyone has a canvas with paintbrushes and colours. In this session, everyone paints a picture in a non-competitive environment. You can also take a trip to Abeokuta and watch how the batik pieces are made into adire fabrics, or any crafts market to learn how baskets are woven from raffia. If you can’t take a break from work to attempt any of the above, you can plan these activities for public holidays or free weekends this year. Tourism is a global language spoken by those in search of new experiences. Though international travelling is great, it shouldn’t define or tarnish the pleasure of the tourism experience. You can have the best of both worlds right where you are here in Nigeria.   Featured Image Source: Naidrenaline Adventured
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This article was first published on 13th January 2021

ann

Ann Esievoadje is a freelance writer who is passionate about encouraging a reading culture and personal development. She has authored two books, The Quilt (fiction) and Being Mummy and Me (non-fiction). She manages Pulchra Publishing which offers a content creation/editing, transcription, different forms of writing (including Ghostwriting) service and her blog, Life Love and Anything Goes at annesievoadje.blogspot.com.ng. You can reach her at annesievoadje@gmail.com

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