In 1970, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) chose September 27th as the World Tourism Day. On this day, the organization has celebrated tourism since 1980. The need for countries to host the event as partners began in 1997 at the 12th General Assembly Session in Turkey. Last year, Hungary hosted the World Tourism Day, and this year India will host it. The aim is to raise awareness of the impact and role of tourism internationally.
And can you believe it was a Nigerian who proposed that the World Tourism Day be celebrated annually? He was the Late Mr Ignatius Amaduwa Atigbi, Chairman of African Travel Commission (ATC) and the Secretary-General of Nigerian Tourism Association (now known as Nigerian Tourism Development). According to Wikipedia, he was recognised for his contribution in 2009.
With an emerging tourism sector, there is a need to commemorate World Tourism Day in Nigeria. In 2018, the tag was ‘Tourism and Digital Transformation’, and this was marked by some states in Nigeria. Lagos unveiled her plans for the state’s tourism sector and highlighted the innovative ways technology has made tourism more visible and effective.
The theme for WTD 2019 is, ‘Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future for All’. There will be an emphasis on job creation by tourism, its impact on the nation’s economy, and ways to clog existing loopholes. Globally, tourism accounts for 10% of the world’s GDP. Did you know one out of twenty job vacancies listed is from the travel and tourism industry? In a report by Jumia Travel, the number of direct jobs created by Nigeria’s hospitality sector peaked at 1.2 million. In comparison, this is 1.8% of the total employment in the country, as against 651,000 in 2016 (1.6%).
Moreover, the employment opportunities created by tourism are both direct and indirect. Not only do local businesses thrive when there is a huge influx of tourists to an area, people also actively take up jobs to promote tourism. Those who benefit the most from tourism are the food, transportation, rental and accommodation businesses. Some jobs created by tourism include travel agents, tour operators, tour marketers/promoters, travel consultants, travel guides, and the like. People with varying degrees of skills set can take up these jobs, which is great for a populous country like Nigeria.
The major stakeholders in the global tourism scene are meeting in New Delhi this Friday to discuss solutions to the challenges facing the industry. Here in Nigeria, the Community Education and Empowerment Network for Africa (CEENA) and the Youth Tourism Development Organisation (YTDO) are planning a capacity building and entrepreneurship development training program to mark the day in Ibadan. Meanwhile, Jumia will be hosting the maiden edition of the WTD event, with the theme: ‘Repositioning Nigeria’s Tourism Industry to Create More Job Opportunities’, in Lagos.
Nigeria is too blessed for us to ignore the advantages of the wealth in tourism. Tourism directly impacts community development through infrastructure and job creation. For any place to grow, there is need to focus on improving its tourism potential.
Sources
Wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_Day
NWAFOR (2017), Nigerian late Atigbi, initiated World Tourism Day – Lai Mohammed, Vanguard (Online)
Adeniyi (2019), Jumia To Host Maiden World Tourism Day Event on September 27th, Jumia Travel Blog
Featured image Ssurce: UNWTO