Ikpeazu inaugurates Abia Yellow Page to boost tourism
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia on Tuesday inaugurated Abia Yellow Page as part of the government’ s efforts to boost tourism in the state.
Speaking during the 2022 World Tourism Day Celebration organised by Abia government, with the theme “Rethinking Tourism”, in Umuahia, Ikpeazu described Abia Yellow Page as a digital platform that contained a directory of Hotels and detailed information about tourist sites in Abia.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chris Ezem, said that the tourism sector played a vital role in socioeconomic development.
He said: “There is a shift from the oil sector to agriculture in order to boost internally generated revenue, and countries like Brazil have survived solely on tourism.
” The revenue generated from tourism in places like Florida is above the internally generated revenue of Nigeria; therefore, it has become important to transform the tourism sector.
“So if we develop what we have like Azumini Blue River, Long Juju of Arochukwu, Amakama Wooden Cave among others, the narrative of the tourism sector will be changed for better.”
According to him, plans are underway to revamp various tourist sites in the state, adding that the remediation work would start from Azumini Blue River and it will be executed in phases.
Ikpeazu directed the state Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to organise a Cultural Day Celebration to showcase the culture of the people of Abia and the tourist sites in the state.
Mr Anthony Nwamuo, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said the theme of the event was apt and added that it highlighted the need for the creation of a system that promoted tourism.
Nwamuo urged the people of Abia to support government’s efforts towards boosting tourism, adding that its gains were enormous.
Earlier, Mrs Ihuoma Nwachukwu, the Abia Liaison Officer of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, said that the citizenry ought to be active players in the business of rebuilding tourism.
Nwachukwu said that “the potentials of tourism are numerous and we have a shared responsibility to make sure they will be realised”. (NAN)
