Former government officials and tourism experts have called on Nigerians, particularly tourism practitioners, to prioritise the rich cultural heritage as the key to reviving the nation’s tourism industry and cultural diversification.

Former director-general of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Segun Runsewe, said on the sidelines of an event in Lagos on Thursday that this is the time to take tourism and culture seriously.

The event was the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) Conference and Awards.

The conference was themed, ‘The Role of International Hospitality Brands in the Growth of Nigerian Tourism and Economy’.

Mr Runsewe said culture and tourism were the only secrets remaining for Nigeria to make a difference in its economy.

He decried the lack of action in the industry despite decades of discussion, adding that Nigeria’s failure to link culture with tourism had hindered its progress.

“Some people are ignorant. They say culture is separate from tourism, but can you cook a soup and remove all the ingredients?

“Culture is that ingredient that tourism takes to market and promotes,” he said.

Mr Runsewe urged stakeholders, including tourism practitioners, journalists, and government agencies, to end internal rivalries and focus on building sustainable tourism brands.

He also cautioned that tourism should not be viewed merely as travel but as a multifaceted industry capable of creating mass employment if properly developed and sustained.

Also, former Nigerian ambassador to Greece, Franklin Ogbuewu, said that if Nigeria planned to sell its cultural heritage globally, it needed to showcase its culture.

Mr Ogbuewu, also a former minister of tourism, said Nigeria’s culture was its unique selling point, setting it apart from the rest of the world.

He emphasised that tourism practitioners must understand that culture is the main product they need to sell other packages.

“They are coming here to see what makes us magic. Our culture. Those cultures that we have that make us proud—that’s what they want to see,” he said.

He cautioned against the lack of continuity of things that had previously worked for the industry.

Mr Ogbuewu urged stakeholders, particularly governments, to work toward sustainability so the industry could grow.

(NAN)