Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) said the corporation has in the last few years being engaging in activities that have direct impact on the nation’s economy.

Members of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation(NTDC) dancing with Yinka Ayefele during the World Tourism Day celebration in Abuja recently . Photo by Jimoh Babatunde

He made this assertion in a paper, “Tourism and the Growth of Nigeria Economy,” he presented  at the third National Waves lecture and awards in Abuja recently.

Runsewe  stated that on the “domestic tourism front, the corporation has impacted positively on host communities through the provision of ancillary facilities that has generated employment.”

The NTDC boss  explained that internationally, NTDC under his leadership has been able to create the needed awareness for local markets at international fairs and exhibitions like FITUR Spain, ITB Berlin, Arabian Travel Market and World Travel Market London among others.

According to him, “parts of the activities of NTDC include, quarterly statistical surveys that have given accurate figures of inbound and outbound tourism thereby throwing up indices that is verifiable.”

Otunba Runsewe gave a breakdown of the activities of the Corporation in providing facts and figures which include expenditure  by international tourists which have direct impact on the national economy

The NTDC boss affirmed that the hotel industry has in the last few years recorded an unprecedented boom partly due to the democratic dispensation and the strict supervision and regulation of hotels to conform to international standards and best practices.

He noted that the roll played by the corporation has created a huge demand by foreigners who now enjoy staying in hotels of international standards.
Runsewe disclosed  that in Lagos alone, more than 30 hotels of international standard and brand were opened in the last two years.

He said  that despite visible progress recorded in the tourism sector in the past four years, “there are great challenges to be overcome if tourism is going to impact more on growth of the Nigerian economy.”

According to him, some of these challenges include investment in infrastructures this he opined that concerted efforts should be made to encourage investment in tourism infrastructures, as this will create sporadic growth in the industry and the national economy.