Plateau state Government has said it’s fully ready to restore its lost tourism glory days in other to create more jobs for the youths and revenue for the state.

The General manager Plateau State tourism cooperation, Mr. Chuwang Pwajok said the cooperation is presently putting up a team to organize Christmas festival this year.

“The festival is expected to take place throughout the month of December to the 1st of January 2024”.

Mr. Pwajok who spoke to Voice of Nigeria in an interview in his office says “ the cooperation believes that it is not just enough to have some form of build-up attraction or natural attraction that is there for people to enjoy but to build and develop activities around these attractions that will warrant tourists coming to spend their funds within these locations.

We are already expanding collaborations and partnerships for those who are organizing different events. We want to bring the city and Plateau to a specific destination location throughout the December period” he said.

Mr. Pwajok throws more light on what fun-seekers should watch out for “ fully decorated with Christmas lights and shopping arrangements. It’s like a carnival kind of thing. Musical concerts, stage drama performances, children fun fair, little Miss Tourism beauty pageant, and all of that.

We are also planning to announce the re-emergence of Plateau State and JOS in particular as a destination to spend your holiday in. It’s already hitting the right notes on social media, and we believe that we are fully on track towards delivering the first JOS Christmas festival”.

Speaking on the numbers of visitors coming into Plateau state for tourism, Mr. Pwajok said the numbers are gradually picking up after the state battled serious crisis and security challenges in the past.

“I think we are already mindful of the fact that we need to buckle up.

We are not making the kind of numbers that we hope to make, so we are really putting on a lot to begin to hit the right numbers as far as tourism visitor numbers are concerned.

Plateau state, liase all know, has been recognized as a major tourist heaven as far as Nigeria is concerned.

At the moment, we would admit that it has not been rosy for quite some time now.”

The General manager added that the state tourism are right now at a stage where their blueprints are being fine-tuned, processes are being redesigned and then strategically positioning the state to re-emerge, internationally as a destination to reckon with as far as tourism is concerned.

Plateau state once known as the home of peace and tourism is blessed with numerous tourism sites such as the eco tourism, wildlife parks, waterfalls, gigantic rocks, amazing weather etc but have over the years faced with security challenges that have affected human and material growth including its tourism industry.