By Rotimi Ijikanmi
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday urged the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to take advantage of its ongoing Confab to proffer solutions to the challenge of racism.
The president made the appeal in Lagos while declaring open the UNWTO Global Conference on Linking Tourism, Culture and the Creative Industries.
Represented by his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the president said the conference was an opportunity to define the future of tourism and address its challenges including racism discrimination.
Specifically, the president said racism was impeding the movement of people across border, thereby, affecting the growth of tourism.
“It is an opportunity to define the future of tourism and what more can we do to make the movement of peoples across borders easier.
“It is also an opportunity to see how we can counter the nativist, ultra nationalist rhetoric of politicians who seek to demonise foreigners and promote racial segregation.
“How about technology, will virtual visits and tours in the wake of metaverse kill human interaction? or can we turn virtual reality to advantage for tourism? So many questions.
“I am sure this gathering of experts and industry players and tourism enthusiasts will at least begin the process of finding answers,’’ he said.
Speaking on the theme of the event, the Buhari said it was in line with the great work that UNWTO had done so far in speeding up economic recovery and promoting inclusive development.
He said tourism had already established itself as one of the top job creating economic sectors and its contributions to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was estimated to be in the order of 10 per cent.
“Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, one out of 10 jobs worldwide depended on tourism, and the aggregate of international tourist arrivals reached 1.5 billion in 2019.
“Tourism opportunities and jobs are inclusive, cutting across all income segments, from the millionaire entertainers to janitors in hotels, jobs are gender sensitive, and accommodate rather than discourage those who speak languages other than the local language.’’ he said.
The Buhari commended the Secretary-General of UNWTO, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, and his team for partnering with Nigeria to host this first of its kind conference and for choosing Nigeria as the platform for showcasing African culture. (NAN)
