By Samuel Onyekwere
The Institute of Tourism Practitioners is set to hold its maiden edition of National Tourism/ Transport Summit and Exhibition. The theme of the summit is: Tourism and transportation, the key sectors for sustainable growth and development.
Scheduled to hold at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja,
from May 21 – 22, 2018, it offers industry stake holders the
opportunity to engage in an all participatory discussion, which will focus on forming a synergy between the stakeholders, in order to move the industry forward.
Stakeholders expected to participate in the two-day event include key players in the transport sub-sector of tourism, such as airlines, tour and travel operators, and administrators of the aviation industry, maritime industry – sea transport, boats and sea cruising operators, road transportation. Others include major transport owners, car hire services, Uber, NURTW, RTEAN, road traffic and safety agencies, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and vehicle insurance companies.
Also expected are operators of tourism and hospitality industry, including resort operators, National parks, museums and monuments, State tourism ministries and boards, festivals and tourism event managers; hoteliers, restaurants and fast food operators as well as service providers in the banking, oil and gas industries
Tourism Transport Summit and Expo 2018 will consist of sections such as tourism transport summit, tourism transport training, exhibition –
B2B and G2B sessions, tourism transport ambassadors’ award and gala night.
The summit will highlight on other subthemes; Tourism and
Transportation Interdependencies for mutual growth and sustainable
development. Potentialities of developing regional inter-connectivity
in transportation; Inter-modal connectivity, traveler safety and
security; Licensing regulations and oversight – meeting the
international standards for sustainable development of the
Transportation and Tourism industries; Marketing Destination Nigeria- what role for the transportation and tourism sectors; Public private partnership and investment in the tourism and transportation sectors-
prospects and challenges; Development of critical infrastructure and the ease of doing business in Nigeria – the case of tourism and transportation industries; as well as Building capacity for global best practices in the tourism and transportation sectors.
The summit is expected to explore the relationship among all major stakeholders—governments at Federal, state and local levels, international organizations, the private sector, and communities, which is vital for achieving the objectives of sustainable tourism and transport development.