A sprawling
landscape lies ahead as the plane touched down at the O.R Tambo
International Airport. The aerial view of the city of Johannesburg is a
taste of what South Africa has to offer in terms of tourism. From
Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, every city, town and
village has one or two breathing scenic beauty that has been the toast
of tourists.
Since hosting the
World Cup in 2010, South Africa has embarked on ambitious plans to
increase the number of overseas visitors to the country to 15 million by
2020, in line with its National Tourism Sector Strategy targets.
Marthinus van
Schalkwyk, South Africa’s minister of tourism, explains the ambitious
plan aimed to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals from over 8
million to 15 million, the number of domestic trips to 50 million,
increase tourism’s contribution to the gross domestics product (GDP)
from an estimated R189.4 billion in 2009 to R499 billion (over $300bn),
and also create about 225, 000 new tourism jobs by 2020.
It is not a surprise
that Nigeria has top the lists of arrivals to South Africa for many
years. The number of arrivals from Nigeria to South Africa has doubled
since 2010, Phumi Dhlomo, South African Tourism director for Africa,
says.
According to him, the
figures were obtained from passport records. Nigerians who visit South
Africa have topped the number of arrivals of foreign nationals into the
country. There was a 20.9 percent increase for the 2010 arrivals to
South Africa.
“Nigeria recorded an
increase of 8.8 percent of tourist arrivals in 2010,” he says, “with our
records showing that 49, 520 Nigerians visited South Africa for leisure
and business purposes. This figure of visitors pushed Nigeria right to
the top of our tourists’ arrivals table from Africa. The January 2011
figures are no less impressive with 4,220 Nigerians visiting South
Africa compared to the 3,491 in 2009 – a 20.9 percent increase.”
Like South Africa,
Nigeria has started taking tourism seriously as part of President
Goodluck Jonathan’s Vision 20:20 plans. In its First National
Implementation Plan (FNIP) outlining the priorities of Vision 20:2020
for 2010-2013, the Federal Government states its ambition to make
tourism one of the five major income earners by 2020. Nigeria estimates
an annual rise of 10 percent per year in tourism arrivals and projects
that the sector’s contribution to GDP will stand at 2.7 percent by the
end of this year.
An additional 10, 000
tourism and hospitality workers are to be trained by year end. To make
this possible, there are reforms to make immigration procedures limit
the duration of tourism visa application to two days. The FNIP announced
investments of up to N27.91 billion to be made in the sector by the end
of this year. Allocations will go into the development of resorts
clusters, including the Shara Gateway around the Northern city of Kano,
the Conference Cluster in the Federal Capital Territory, the scenic
cluster in the highlands of the Plateau region, the Atlantic Gateway
along the Lagos Badagry corridor and the Tropical Rain forest Cluster in
the South East.
Nigeria’s rich
cultural heritage is being explored more effectively through the success
of festivals and carnivals, for example, the Lagos Black Heritage
Festival, the Calabar Carnival, the Argungun Fishing Festival in Kebbi,
the Durbar Festival in Kano, the Mare Festival in Ondo State, Osun
Osogbo Festival, among others. Funds have also been made available to
open the National Arts Theatre through a public private partnership
arrangement. There is also a culture and tourism fund to promote
cultural tourism at home and abroad.
In addition, tourism
officers are being posted to Nigerian embassies and foreign missions for
the promotion of tourism outside the country. Each states in the
country is also embarking on developing their tourism sites by creating
festivals around them in other to develop domestic tourism. For
instance, Ondo State’s annual Mare Festival attracts more than 2, 000
visitors annually the same could be said of the Osun Osogbo Festival,
Calabar Carnival, Lagos Black Heritage Festival, Argungun amongst
others.
There has been a
positive sign in tourism development in Nigeria since the Tourism
Development Fund was launched in 2012. Once the N5 billion fund has been
made available for disbursement, it would be used to aid funding and
capacity building in the tourism industry.
President Jonathan’s
visit to South Africa will definitely cement the relationship with the
rainbow country. It will also open up emerging markets for the promotion
of tourism, arts, culture and fashion. It will be a great opportunity
for Nigeria and South Africa to exploit the tourism potentials of both
countries for tourism exchange. The two countries decide on the best
ways to market Nigeria as a destination in line with President
Jonathan’s Vision 20:20.
Edem Duke, minister
of culture, tourism and national orientation, told the Oxford Business
Group in its Nigeria 2012 Report, that the fund would be financed by
private sector contributions and supported by a percentage from sales of
airline tickets and hotel rooms.
“Our vision is that
70 percent of the tourism fund,” he explained, “will go to visual art,
some towards tourism infrastructure, while a certain percentage will be
set aside for the development of tourism products as well as training.
The training includes the establishment of tourism education programmes
throughout the country, and it is providing new opportunities for more
than 20 million unemployed people.”
Both Nigeria and
South Africa have been making efforts to develop a mutually beneficial
relationship in order to develop their tourism potential. For instance,
in the past year, South African Tourism has empowered tour operators by
training them on how to market destinations for tourism locally. In
addition, tour operators and media have been taken on familiarisation
tour to better educate them about South Africa’s tourism offerings. Some
of the knowledge gained from these trips has been adapted locally.
Also, Nigeria has
been marketing itself internationally through the establishment of
Nigerian cultural centres in Brazil and China. It has just planned to
open a similar Culture and Information Centre in Johannesburg, South
Africa, in 2013. According to Duke, it is the first to be opened by
Nigeria in Africa. It will be used to strengthen cultural relations, not
only with the government and people of South Africa, but also with
other countries in the Southern part of the continent.
“We recall the very
elaborate and robust relations between Nigeria and South Africa,
especially in the years of struggle against apartheid as well as the
leadership role the two countries are playing in the advancement of the
cause of Africa globally. This choice is also in recognition of the role
Nigeria played and continues to play in the history of Southern African
countries,” the minister explained.
No doubt, many
Nigerians living legitimately in South Africa have been contributing to
its socio-economic development as well as the maintenance of bilateral
relations. Having a Nigerian Culture and Information Centre around them
will enhance their activities and also complement the operations of the
Nigerian High Commission.
In the same vein,
Nigeria is also working with South Africa to facilitate the opening of a
South African Tourism office in Nigeria.
Article accredited to: Business day
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