Specialist wants FG to embark on destination branding of tourist centres

      A brand specialist, Mr Ken Ebbi, has advised the Federal Government to brand various tourist centres across the country to enhance tourism development and boost the country’s internally generated revenue.
Ebbi told news men in Lagos on Monday that such branding would make it easy for foreign tourists to locate the sites in the country. “It will also increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings, create employment and alleviate poverty. “Nigeria, with the world at her feet as a tourism destination spot, has the potentials of earning well over N90 billion annually, if well harnessed, “ he said.

 He identified Badagry, Kano, Calabar, Osogbo and Benin as some of the locations that should be branded as unique sites of global interest. He said that through branding, foreign tourists would be able to access information about the tourist centres. “Yearly, over 400 million people travel globally, hundreds of millions or more travel domestically from one city to the other for various reasons – business, pleasure, relaxation, enjoyment, education and more. “ Globally, tourism and incentive travel are not only acknowledged as the largest industry in terms of huge revenue generation, but they are also the world’s highest employers of labour. “Over the years, the tourism industry has grown and is also evolving with leading tourism destination spots changing from the former assets-driven marketing to the strategic customer-centric marketing, “ Ebbi told news men. According to him, tourism has become the honey pot of most countries as they rely on it either as the major foreign exchange earner or as the main source of national income. “Nigeria, with a population of about 150 million, 250 ethnic groups with diverse historical and cultural backgrounds, Nigeria is indeed a paragon of tourism. “Sadly, over the years, Nigeria has been unable to harness these potentials for branding and sundry developmental purposes, “ Ebbi said. He urged the Federal Government to continue to invest in tourism, adding with time the country would rank among tourism destination brands like Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi (Dubai), Kenya and South Africa.