By Princewill Ekwujuru

The government of Osun state, South West Nigeria has projected N15 billion revenue from tourists coming into the state next year.
The state’s Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Hon  Adetona Ayedun, who gave this projection , said the global tourism industry is worth $3 trillion per annum, noting that the N15 billion is expected to come from hospitality  businesses, transport and entertainment  in 2015.

Speaking during this year’s edition of Brand Journalists’ Association of Nigeria, BJAN  conference  with the theme ‘ Tourism Marketing As Catalyst for Economic Development’ held in the state, the Commissioner said that to realize the above amount, the government of the state has aggressively improved infrastructures in the state such roads, power and security which are the bedrock of smooth tourism attraction.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olajumoke Bello, he stated that the state’s business visit to Cuba exposed the state to ideas on how tourism and culture could be promoted as revenue earner for the state and an economic diversifier for the state in particular and Nigeria in general, particularly at a time like this when oil price is falling.

Ayedun described tourism as an important, vital source of income for many countries, saying it is an activity essential to the life of nations because of its direct effects on the social, cultural, educational, and economic sectors of national societies and on their international relations. Tourism brings in large amounts of income into a local economy in the form of payment for goods and services needed by tourists, accounting for 30 per cent of the World’s trade of services.