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Involve journalists in tourism policy formulation, implementation —Aare Ona Kakanfo

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The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland Aare Gani Adams has called on tourism policy formulators and implementers to “actively involve journalists and the media when tourism policies are to be made and eventual implemented. This is because  journalists and the media are  two indispensable elements in the stride at enhancing the cultural- tourism  potentialities of the country.”

Aare Adams  who pointed this out in a speech he delivered at the Blue Roof, LTV, Lagos last Friday at the Gbareniyi  Ceremony, held in his honour by a group of four journalists said “journalists and the media in general are indispensable catalysts of development when it comes to planting, germination, grooming, weaning,   propagation and marketing of a nation’s tourism potentialities. But it is of no pride that in Nigeria, these elements are usually relegated to the background when it comes to making, implementing and coordinating tourism policies”.

He said “The chord of  relationship between tourism development and media networking should not only be cordial, but much tighter than Siamese twins’ affairs because one is in dire need of an absolute commitment of the other”.

Aare Adams revealed “I have studied the growth of tourism in some countries of the world, UAE, Egypt, Malaysia, Ghana, Israel , South Africa and Jordan, I found out that the media is in a symbiotic engagement with the tourism policies in these countries. This is to show that any country which is trying to lift its tourism sector to the pinnacle of economic fortune must ensure the synergy of purpose between the two sectors”.

He pointed out “the reverses and the truncation of growth being suffered by tourism in Nigeria can be traced to the gap between policymakers and the media. The media and its practitioners in this country must be put into confidence of purpose if we are genuinely serious at pushing our cultural –tourism potentialities to global limelight”.

Aare Adams said “tourism is a special sub-economy which needs the full participation of the media. It is a mistake for us by reducing the role of media in tourism development to strictly that of information dispenser. Until this  erroneous conception is reversed, Nigeria tourism may not leap out of its shadow”.

Aare Adams called on journalists and media practitioners in Nigeria to embrace development journalism which entails placing the negative news on the platform of objectivity .

“I, therefore, implore us all, I mean the media and its eminent practitioners to allow altruistic tendency and patriotic fervor to guide our conscience whenever we are making any report that could smear   the image of our country”.

He commended the four media practitioners, Otunba Tokunbo Babs Olurinde, Yomi Mate, Laide Akano and Deji Etiwe  for their tenacity of purpose and doggedness at promoting the cultural–tourism potentialities of the nation on their various platforms.

At the ceremony which attracted the presence of the Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi  III, who was represented by the Bashorun of Oyo, Mr Seye Kehinde, publisher, City People Magazine, Arewa Omo Oba, daughter of the Alaafin of Oyo  and over 25 traditional rulers,   had Professor Mike Omolewa as the guest speaker.

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The post Involve journalists in tourism policy formulation, implementation —Aare Ona Kakanfo appeared first on Tribune.

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