Chuwang Emmanuel
Taraba state government last week said it has concluded plans to join the rest of the world to celebrate World Tourism Day on Sept. 27.
The theme for this year’s World Tourism Day is: Tourism and Green Investment.
The Commissioner for Heritage and Eco-tourism, Joseph Nagombe disclosed this at a press conference in Jalingo.
Nagombe said Governor Agbu Kefas has directed the ministry to hold this year’s tourism day at Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area.
The Mambilla Plateau has an average elevation of about 1,600 meters (5,249 ft) above sea level, making it the highest plateau in Nigeria.
Gang or Chappal Waddi has a height of 2,419 meters (7,936 ft) above sea level.
It is the highest mountain in Nigeria.
He said the state would use the celebration to showcase the tourism assets of the state to the rest of the world.
“The Governor hopes to use this medium to woo foreign investors to the state by showcasing the vast tourism potentials of the State to the world.
“It wants to use the 2023 World Tourism Day to showcase its potential with a view to attract both local and international investors,” Nagombe said.
According to him, some of the activities planned for the day include cultural dance, exhibitions of community cultures, and display of locally made fabrics and souvenirs.
Mr Nagombe said the community would witness the influx of both local and international tourists ahead and during the event.
He added that the one-day event would boost the commercial activities in the ancient community and also boost hospitality industry patronages.
The Commissioner assured of the safety of lives during the celebration as security will be beefed up.
He expressed the optimism that Taraba would, in no time, become the preferred destination for domestic and foreign tourists.
According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, Nigeria is ranked 164th tourism center in the world while in West Africa, the country is ranked number 8.
In 2020 Nigeria generated around 321.00 million US dollars from the tourism sector.
