Expert advocates strategic investment to explore tourism opportunities

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By Priscilla Osaje

German tourism expert, Julia Kleber, has called for strategic investment to explore tourism opportunities for effective storytelling and capacity building in order to position Nigeria as a competitive global destination.

Kleber, who is the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Kleber Group, made the call at  a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

She described Nigeria as a country with vast and large untapped tourism opportunities.

“Nigeria possesses  core elements required to build a strong tourism sector, which include rich culture, diverse landscapes, vibrant arts, music, cuisine as well as welcoming population,  but remains largely underrepresented in the global tourism market.

“I have been struck by the beauty of this country and the warmth of its people since my arrival on Sunday.

“Nigeria has extraordinary tourism opportunities, but these assets are still not fully visible on the global stage,” Kleber said.

According to her, tourism is one of the most effective drivers of job creation and economic growth, with strong linkages to sectors such as aviation, agriculture, hospitality, energy and infrastructure.

“Africa remains largely unexplored from a tourism perspective, and Nigeria, in particular, has a huge opening. Tourism is a peaceful industry that creates jobs, attracts investment and stimulates wide economic activity”.

She called for improved international perception of Nigeria through targeted promotion, market education and authentic storytelling that reflected the country’s heritage, culture and attractions.

“Sustainable tourism development requires a clear strategy that focuses on product development, investor’s engagement, infrastructure, training and capacity building for local communities and hospitality workers.

“Our goal is to place Nigeria firmly on the international tourism map and present it as an authentic and attractive destination for travellers and investors,” Kleber added.

Highlighting Kleber Group over three decades, the Kleber Group CEO said the group had  experience in tourism development across Africa, including engagements in South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, Sierra Leone and Angola, as well as work in the aviation and hospitality sectors.

Kleber  added that  strong public-private collaboration and deliberate tourism planning  has helped to attract global attention and secured more than 450 million dollars in government investment for tourism infrastructure in Angola.

“This shows what we can achieve when tourism is treated as a viable economic sector. Nigeria has similar opportunities and even greater potential.

Kleber also spoke on Voice for Africa, an initiative launched during the COVID-19 period to promote positive narratives about the continent and counter perceptions that discourage travel and investment.

She expressed optimism about Nigeria’s tourism outlook, citing ongoing engagements with government institutions, national parks and other stakeholders.

“There is a journey ahead, but the process has started. With collaboration, implementation and commitment, tourism can become a major source of jobs, investment and sustainable growth in Nigeria”.

Also speaking, Amb. Phil Roberts called for closer collaboration with the media to reshape Nigeria’s global tourism image, noting that negative narratives often overshadow the country’s tourism assets.

“Two years ago, I trekked from Abuja to Delta State to promote Nigeria as a tourism destination, and in October last  year,I undertook another project from Nigeria to Ethiopia.

“What people abroad see and hear from me is often very different from what our media projects online,” Roberts said.

He recalled concerns raised ahead of Kleber’s visit regarding insecurity, stressing  that such perceptions often discourage tourists.

“Nigeria is frequently portrayed as a war theatre, and that is harmful to tourism development.

“Several high-level engagements have been held since Kleber’s arrival, including meetings with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and Tourism, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Presidential Villa, the Nigerian National Parks Service and other stakeholders.

“Further engagements are  planned with the Presidency and we  plan to organise a Tourism Investment Summit across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones because  tourism development must reflect regional diversity.

“Tourism is not one-size-fits-all, each  zone has its unique attractions and strengths,” he said.

As regards to infrastructure, Roberts said sustainable tourism could not thrive without deliberate investment, adding that discussions were ongoing with investors, including the World Trade Centre, on tourism-related infrastructure.

“Do not underplay the role of the media in tourism growth because tourism is about storytelling, without the media driving these stories, the effort will not yield results.

“We will work closely with the media to project Nigeria’s tourism narrative,” he said.

Mr Jeffrey Adamade, Special Assistant on NGO/Partnerships to the Office of the Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, said the state remained open to partnerships, describing Cross River as one of Nigeria’s leading tourism destinations.

Similarly, Mr  Bonaventure Onuorah,Chairman of KU Worldwide, reaffirmed the commitment of Kleber Group and its partners to work with Nigerian stakeholders to project the country’s tourism assets globally.(NAN)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

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