Laide Akinboade
Immigration policy on visa has helped tourism says Runsewe   The Director general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has attributed the in flux of tourists to the country to the policy of the Nigerian Immigration Services which now make access to the country’s Visa easy.

He made this disclosure while feting a group of about 45Chinese students on an educational tour of the country.
The group which comprised the students of Chinese University of Hong Kong and some of their lecturers are on a tour of Nigeria’s tourism attractions.

According to him, the Chinese tourists are in the country to visit Nigeria’s  tourism attractions like the  ecosystem, diverse cultural heritage  and virgin forest, monuments among others.

Otunba Runsewe  said the tourists would be in the country for about two weeks, saying, “this is a testimony and  benefits of marketing the nation’s  tourism potentials at the international scene.

“NTDC will open more doors of opportunity that would enhance  influx of tourists for economic development.
“The upturn of tourists’ arrival in certain destinations and the World  Tourism Organisation (WTO) pronouncement that Africa is now a  prime tourism destination, prompted NTDC to maximise the  opportunities from such arrivals and receipts, ‘’ he said.

“ The visit will give the tourists the first hand information about the nation’s tourism potentials and  Nigerians’ hospitality.

“ I strongly believe that how to sell this country must not be through  propaganda, but through efforts to make those visiting the country, have a feel of the  people and experience our people’s hospitality.

He noted that tourists from Sybil and some members of the   Professional Golfers Association (APG) in  Germany have concluded    arrangements to storm Nigeria soon.  On the issue of tourist challenge to  access Nigeria Visa, he said that the immigration has made it possible to access three weeks visa  into Nigeria and that it has been a  long agitation for about three years that have suddenly   seen  the  light of the day.

“ This development is in the right direction and would   increase the number of visiting foreign tourists  to the Country,” he said.    Runsewe said that Dubia was able to generate from $170 million   from  its visa fees of $200 monthly adding that NTDC was   working with all relevant parasatals and  agencies that would ease visits to Nigeria to boost tourist arrivals.

He reiterated that  the  tourists influx  was going to be   sustained adding that the corporation  has done  enough    ground  work  to make Nigeria a  destination adding the    organization has partnered with both local and foreign tour   operators to boost packaging  of Nigeria products.

He said that NTDC would establish a tourism quiz   competition among the youths adding winners  would     have opportunity to visit Hong Kong.

Prof. Lawal Marafa, a Nigerian lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the visit would  enhance cultural interaction and broaden  both countries’ relationship in tourism. Ms Jiang Xu, Head  of the Chinese delegation, said Nigerians are energetic and hospitable people, saying that they  embarked on the  visit to have basic knowledge about the country’s tourism potentials.

Mr. Calvin Chung, another tourist, promised to be Nigeria Ambassador  in marketing of her tourism,  saying the delegation would go back and tell the success story from the visit.