According to the commissioner, Akwaaba is a brand that has gone far within Africa and beyond, adding, “It is a celebration of Nigeria and Africa at large. This is why it is important to plan the city of Lagos for tourists to come. Although Lagos state has a roadmap for tourists to tour the city, we also have an active website that showcases Lagos and its entity. There is also a documentary and Lagos master plan. However, Lagos is lacking tour souvenirs and this is an open platform for youths to create tourism products that can be marketable. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of job opportunities in tourism that can be annexed by youths.”
Akinbile-Yusuf continued: “Youths should cultivate the habit of adding value to the country; the government of Lagos is there to assist them unlock their potentials.”
Meanwhile, in a bid to domesticate tourism in Lagos State, 6-Local Councils were selected to partner and train professional tour guides.
“These people are being trained to take tourists from one location to another. Also, in the first quarter of next year, we want to rebrand tourism and create a new logo for Lagos State Tourism, Art and Culture. This is also an opportunity for the youths to get creative, as the project would be awarded to any youth that comes up with the best logo. They should also look into the Lagos State waterway; Lagos State is an aquatics city and this is another lucrative job opportunity in the tourism industry for youths who can key into the vision.”
It would be recalled that the 17th Akwaaba African Travel Market was opened on Monday by publisher of The Guardian, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, who harped on need for synergy between the media and tourism sectors in order to enhance mutual benefits and economic growth.
