THE Senate Committee on Tourism has commended the National President, Nigerian Guilde of Tourism Editors and Nigerian Tribune Newspapers’ Tourism Editor, Wale Ojo-Lanre, for underscoring the need for the establishment of a separate Ministry of Tourism.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Tourism, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, who made the commendation, on Thursday, during the public hearing of the bill sent to the Senate by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), which seeks to effectively extend the control of the institute in industry practice, said, “the Tribune Tourism Editor, Wale Ojo-Lanre, made one of the best submissions thus far.”
Ojo-Lanre submitted that to ensure a speedy and pragmatic development of the tourism industry in the country, there should there should be a separate Ministry of Tourism.
His words: “It’s good for NIHOTOUR to be legally established as a proper training centre, the contenscious section in the bill should also be expunged.
The National President, Guild of Tourism Editors urged other tourism parastatals to approach the Senate for the legalisation of their status so as to ensure the laying down of the fundamentals necessary for the development of the Tourism economy in Nigeria.
He pointed out that serious tourism-conscious countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Ghana, Gambia, South Africa, and others, have separate Ministry for the tourism industry.
Ojo-Lanre commended the Senate for taking the giant stride at ensuring that Tourism is properly placed within the legal ambit of operation.
He pointed out that the 8th Senate under the leadership of Senator (Dr.) Bukola Saraki, and particularly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Tourism and members of the committee, will be ever remembered in the history book of Tourism development in Nigeria as the first Senate that chart a course for the emergence of Tourism economy in Nigeria.
Participants in the public hearing adopted the submission of Wale Ojo-Lanre on the need for the establishment of a Tourism Ministry.
