Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Dr. (Mrs.) Sally Mbanefo, has described tourism as the greatest employer of labour.

Mbanefo who said this during the World Tourism Day, with the theme, “1 Billion Tourists, 1 Billion Opportunities,” held in Enugu State, underscored the role of tourism sector as a valuable and sustainable source of livelihood for millions of people.

She said; the corporation under her administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure practical development and promotion of domestic tourism, which according to her, will propel job creation, develop the nation’s economy, and raise social awareness on cultural preservation and environment protection.

Her words: “Nigeria has a better advantage over so many other countries to benefit from tourism. We have the advantage of population. Tourism contributes 10% to the global GDP but as at now, Nigeria is not fully benefiting from tourism like other countries. For instance, 4,333,000 tourists visited Nigeria in 2013, which contributed about 4 per cent to our GDP. While tourism contributes 17.7 per cent to the GDP of Gambia, 13 per cent to Egypt; 12 per cent to Kenya; 11.9 per cent to Mexico; 9 per cent to South Africa, and 6 per cent to Cuba.
“We need to know that Nigeria should focus more on tourism as the best alternative to oil, with domestic tourism as the catalyst.

“I need to emphasise that Nigeria has the best of the ingredient of tourism. We have fascinating tourist sites, enviable cultural festivals, good weather, good and hospitable people. Have you ever wondered why most diplomats, after serving their terms chose to stay back in Nigeria? It is because of the warmth and friendliness of our people, environment and potentials.”

Mbanefo, who emphasised that the potential of tourism in Nigeria is N4billion, she appealed that government should take privatisation to the next level, which according to her will further facilitate an enabling environment for tourism to thrive in Nigeria.