Coordinator of South-South Tourism Roundtable Steering Committee, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, has commended the Senator-elect for Delta North Senatorial District, Prince Ned Nwoko, for promoting a sense of ‘Pan Africanism’ through his ‘Tour Africa lottery’ initiative.
Dr. Kiyaramo, who is also a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Bayelsa State Governor on Tourism, made the commendation while exchanging views with the International Director of Project Tourism Africa, Mr. Chuks Anyaduba, in his office on Friday, noting that promoting Pan Africanism through tourism projects ‘Tour Africa Lottery’ will contribute immensely to sustainable development and regional economic cooperation in Africa.
According to Dr. Kiyaramo, tourism offers great opportunities for emerging economies and developing countries in creating jobs and strengthening the local economy by contributing to local infrastructure development which could also help to conserve the natural environment and cultural assets and traditions, and to reduce poverty and inequality.
He said: “This can be achieved in particular, if the local people are able to benefit from the income opportunities arising from tourism,” adding that the ‘Tour Africa Lottery’ initiative would go a long to foster sustainable development of tourism at destinations within Africa, as well foster regional integration and cooperation among African countries.
The South-South Tourism Roundtable Committee Coordinator said in order to make tourism prospects in emerging economies more sustainable and more crisis-resilient, there needs to be close cooperation between the tourism industry, academia, and the development community, adding that the ‘Tour Africa Lottery’ initiative will support exchange and transfer of knowledge between the various stakeholders across the continent.
“Sustainable tourism is based on a long-term perspective. It adheres to ethical principles and is geared towards social justice, respect for cultural differences, environmental responsibility, and economic benefits.
“It considers tourism as an important tool for development policy. In other words, tourism is used mainly as a lever for fostering local and regional economic development in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
“Activities focus, for example, on creating jobs and income, fostering human rights and gender equality, and protecting the natural environment, biodiversity and cultural assets and traditions within the tourism sector and beyond,” the governor’s aide pointed out.
Dr. Kiyaramo expressed the desire of the South-South Tourism Roundtable to collaborate with Project Tourism Africa, a brain child of Prince Ned Nwoko, to promote the sense of community and adventure across Africa, with a view to marketing the rich cultural heritage, ecology, wildlife, festivals, history, cuisines and the blue economy potentials to the world as an economic bloc.
Responding, the International Director of Project Tourism Africa, Mr. Chuks Anyaduba, who expressed his organization’s willingness to collaborate with the South-South Tourism Roundtable, said his boss, Senator-elect Prince Ned Nwoko, who is very passionate about promoting intra-Africa connectivity through tourism, will be very delighted to collaborate with the South South Tourism Roundtable.
He said both Project Tourism Africa, Tour Africa Lottery and other initiatives were initiated by the Senator-elect to boost tourism development in Nigeria and Africa, assuring that Prince Ned Nwoko wants to ensure that the interest of government in the tourism sector is renewed and sustained to create an enabling environment for tourism to flourish in Nigeria.
According to Mr. Anyaduba, Senator-elect Nwoko had always believed that Africa should be a preferred destination for Africans because there are lots of fascinating locations within Africa, which is the main objective of the Tour Africa Lottery, a scheme where Africans can win lottery to travel to tourism destinations within Africa.
He said: “Tour Africa Lottery is a promotional lottery game designed to help promote tourism in Africa. Subscribers will play to win the star prize of an all expense paid luxury trip to destinations within Africa.
“It will feature photo shoots, image our values, prizes, cash rewards, gift vouchers, branded items/souvenirs, a day with favourite celebrities, courtesy visit to top historic site, 10 nights at a luxury hotel and lunch vouchers etc. The web app shall be the channel to tap into this experience.
“Tour Africa Lottery mission is to afford the general public with African cultural and breathtaking sites and experiences, while making known the prospect in Africa and positioning Africa as the perfect destination for investment and by so doing, making Africa great again.”
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