Managing Director of Jumia‘s Hotel & Flight Marketplace, Omolara Adagunodo has applauded the Lagos State House of Assembly for passing the bill to establish the Lagos State Tourism Promotion Agency.
Adagunodo stated this while speaking to some stakeholders within the industry at a tourism roundtable in Lagos.
“Lagos is a tourism hub and it is high time the state had a robust agency to promote tourism. The recently passed bill setting up the Lagos State Tourism Promotion Agency and Connected Purposes is arriving at the appropriate time when tourism’s contribution to the national economy is evolving and dedicating an agency to the promotion of tourist hubs in Lagos will undoubtedly increase tourism contribution to the economy,” Adagunodo said.
She added: “The bill will further boost the status of the state as a one-stop destination for local and international tourists and help in the promotion of various destinations and attractions in the state including the National Theatre, Lekki Conservation, Badagry, and Tarkwa Bay Beach among many others.”
The 54-section bill spells out some of the objectives of the new agency: “Promote, market and develop the state domestically and internationally as a major tourist destination by highlighting its uniqueness and assisting the development of its tourism products and services. Develop and promote the state as a premier travel and tourist destination; attract and increase tourist arrivals and direct tourism investment and identify and develop potential tourism destination in the state.”
While encouraging Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to assent to the bill as soon as possible, Adagunodo urged other state houses to take a queue from Lagos and begin the process of setting up a tourism promotion agency.
