The President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr Nkereuwem Onung, has called on the government of Cross River State to create a stand-alone department of arts and culture in addition to the existing Tourism Bureau and Carnival Commission.
The call was made at the second Cross River Tourism Round Table organized by the Institute of Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN) in Calabar with the theme: “Lighting up Cross River with the Spirit of Hospitality”.
In his keynote address, the President noted that the establishment of the Department of Culture and Arts will help restore cultural products, protect and promote cultural values as well as promote these products in the local and international community as a source of revenue.
“You already have the Tourism Bureau and the Carnival Commission, if you add Arts and Culture as a directorate with a DG in charge, you have three distinctive institutions that have distinctive functions that will drive tourism to all facets.
“The government must be bold and deliberate in taking further action. The government must work with institutions to ensure regular industry training and compliance with standards,” he said.
In his welcome address, the chairman, ITPN- CRS, Prof Bassey Esu maintained that the theme of this year’s event is bound out of the need to restore the lost spirit of destination hospitality of our State and to redefine what kind of destination we intend to build in the future.
“The question this forum will have to deal with is whether the attributes of destination hospitality encapsulated in the acronym ‘CALABAR’ can still be used as our selling proposition today?
“You and I know that, to a large extent, the answer is no. We have lost some elements of our destination hospitality.
“The philosophy of the State’s destination hospitality then was anchored on four pillars: Our personal and environmental hygiene, our love for visitors, our love for good and nutritious food and cuisines, our rich cultural dances, and arts and crafts. These values cut across all the ethnic groups of the State. They gave us a natural competitive advantage to enter and overtake the Nigeria tourism market some years ago.”
Continuing, he added that, “My expectation in this forum is for the destination managers to provide hospitality leadership that will evolve into a state-wide campaign that will ignite the hospitality spirit of the destination. We expect a communique to come out of our deliberation today that will serve as a working document for the government in developing a tourism policy and subsequently a tourism law.”
Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong, noted that this year’s theme; “Light Up Cross River with the Spirit of Hospitality,” resonates deeply with commitment to advancing tourism in the state.
“The Cross River State Tourism Bureau remains dedicated to working hand-in-hand with the private sector under the able leadership of the governor. Our shared vision is to position Cross River as a premier destination, showcasing its unique culture, natural beauty, and the renowned hospitality of its people.
Prof Raphael Offiong, who represented Her Excellency, Rev Eyoanwan Ottu, as the lead speaker, during her presentation informed that there’s so much about Efik hospitality from foods, marriages, performances and entertainment.
“So she’s saying that beyond us putting up all this things only during festival periods, it should be a day to day thing. We need to go beyond our oral tradition to documenting it and making it very practicable for the seeking of sustainable development.”
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