Dance instructor wants FG to involve tourism professionals in packaging tourism sector

 Mr Isioma Williams of Drumsview Concepts, a dance institute, on Tuesday called for the involvement of professionals in packaging the tourism sector as an alternative to oil in revenue generation.

Williams, the Institute’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that this would make the sector achieve maximum effect and contribute meaningfully to the nation's internally generated revenue(IGR)..

He said that for the government to also achieve positive results in its diversification assignment, it should employ experienced professionals for the packaging and branding of the sector.

Williams said that government by this would also be achieving its set target of turning the sector to one of its major economic cornerstones.

``When we have novices managing a sector or an aspect, failure is very likely.

``Experience is the best teacher and enables an individual to proffer reasonable solutions to identified challenges.

``Qualified hands who have been in the sector for years, who know the problems so far and know what can be done to make tourism better should be integrated in decision making,’’ he said.

Williams also urged government to concentrate on maintaining most of its facilities, especially the country’s tourism potentials like monuments, caves, waterfalls, ancient buildings and beaches.

He said that Nigerians lacked a maintenance culture which had affected the tourism sector over the years.

``Most of our tourism sites are presently in shambles because they are not properly managed by their operators.

``Nigeria is blessed with natural sites, which need little maintenance, unlike in developed world where they create tourist sites and maintain them well.

``The roads to most of our tourist sites must be fixed and the sites renovated before we can expect to see a boom in in-bound tourism,’’ the dance instructor said.

He also called for an increase in security at tourist sites to attract local and foreign tourists to them.

``Everyone wants to go to places where their security will be guaranteed and not threatened.

``We must, collectively, as Nigerians be security conscious by reporting suspected criminal moves to security agencies,’’ Williams added.