The Federal and State Governments have been called to actively support private sector initiatives aimed at fostering domestic tourism in the country.

This was the submission of Ikechi Uko, a renowned travel expert and organizer of West Africa’s largest trade exhibition event, Akwaaba in Nigeria.

Uko who was a guest speaker at the Nigerian South African Chamber of Commerce Breakfast meeting, with the theme, “Rethinking Tourism In Nigeria.” proposed three ways to rethink tourism in Nigeria.

He lamented the lack of government support for private sector efforts to drive domestic tourism.

He noted that the industry plays a significant role by private firms and a select few states in this regard.

He specifically mentioned the positive impact created by projects such as Naija7Wonders, Nigeria Tourism Lovers, Goge Africa and Naija Explorers, which have been at the forefront of driving domestic tourism growth, with states like Cross River, Osun, Lagos.