Expect tourist traffic boom from China - NTDC Chief Runsewe

Expect tourist traffic boom from China – Runsewe

In line with the unrelenting efforts of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), aimed at strengthening the country’s tourism industry; Nigeria will soon start to experience a boom in tourist traffic from the Republic of China following a recent visit to that country by a team led by the NTDC Director General, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe.

For a start, at least 300 tourists comprising mainly of students are expected in Nigeria within early in 2011 as part of a programme drawn by the NTDC to encourage youth tourism. “This set of age bracket, I mean youth is being targeted to form the nucleus of future tourist traffic to Nigeria from all over the world, we are using the Republic of China as the second pilot project. You know sometimes this year about 40 students from the China University of Hong Kong came through us to Nigeria”, Otunba Runsewe said during an interview with journalists at the Southern city of Kaoshing.

According to the tourism agency boss, there is a great enthusiasm among the Youth and the people of Republic of China about future visit to Nigeria adding that at least 200 students from the National Kaoshing University of Hospitality and Tourism have expressed their desire to visit Nigeria with all of them saying it would be a great experience for them to be in Africa.

Already, the Nigerian head of Mission in Taipie has been contacted for visa assistance to the students and others wishing to visit the country.
During a reception organized by the National Kaoshing University of Hospitality and Tourism, the Rector Prof. Jimmy Yung announced an offer of scholarship to two staff of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation wishing to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme in the Institution.

Professor Jimmy Yung said the institution has reserved the offer until the next academic session explaining further that the institution which was established about 17 years ago is the only University offering courses in Hospitality and Tourism in the whole of the Republic of China.
Otunba Runsewe accepted the invitation of associate professorship to the
institution and thanked the Rector for the offer while promising that he would act at once by forwarding the names of the lucky staff to the Institution as soon as possible.

Otunba Runsewe also met the Commissioner of Information and Tourism of Taipie City Government Mr Chung Hwa Two who conducted him and his team round the City Hall where they viewed and experienced the Hall’s Discovery Theatre.  The theatre is said to be the first of its kind in the world equipped with a special screen that displays images to the minute details.

The three-day visit was climaxed with a visit to the 2010 Taipie International Flora exposition which drew participants from 46 countries with six presidents attending. The Expo staged for the first time in 1960 in Rotterdam has moved form one city to the other among the 33 member countries.  It is to show off the strengths of local horticultural industry.

Through the exposure to the beauties of flowers and gardening visitors can gain deeper appreciation for the importance of the gifts of nature and how we can co exist and prosper in harmony with out natural environment.
The six-month expo has it theme for 2010 “Rivers, flowers, New Horizons, the idea of Nature and civilization in Harmonious coexistence”.

 - By AKIN A. ONIPEDE