By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

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In its efforts to advance economic development through tourism, Ekiti State Government has disclosed plans to establish a bureau of tourism development that would focus mainly on harnessing and developing the state’s tourism potentials and make the state number one destination of choice for tourists.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji who disclosed this  in Ado-Ekiti, also said his administration would partner with tourism development operators that would help develop its local tourism sites in an effort to drive its shared prosperity agenda for the people.

The Governor while receiving a team from the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) led by its President, Mrs Ime Udo, in his office, said tourism development remains a key component of his administration’s six- pillar development agenda saying it would be separated from the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism as currently structured and would become a standalone Bureau of Tourism, positioning the sector for thorough supervision and the right attention .

While noting that the state has thriving and viable tourism platforms to attract visitors and also create jobs and business opportunities, Governor Oyebanji stressed that tourism has a very huge potential to drive prosperity, employment, and development of the state. 

Governor Oyebanji promised to scale up security in the state, especially in all the tourist destinations to allay fears of national and international tourists on security challenges.

He stated further that his government had designated Ikogosi, Ipole-Iloro and Efon-Alaaye as tourism corridors of the state, adding that the state is also planning to build a Zoological Garden in the same axis as other interesting tourists sites would also be developed.

Earlier, the President of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Mrs Ime Udo said the team was in Ekiti state to seek partnership with the government on the hosting of its tourism conference in the state and ways to develop its tourism destinations.

Mrs Udo also stated that the idea of hosting tourism conferences in states was to promote the tourism potentials of such states and sell it as a tourism destination nationally and internationally as well as open up the state for investors for them to see the inherent potential in such states.