Tourism in Nigeria

The temple of Yoruba goddess Oshun at Osun-Osogbo, an attraction for pilgrims and tourists alike.
African Bush Elephants in Yankari National Park, Bauchi State.

Tourism in Nigeria centers largely on events, due to the country's ample amount of ethnic groups, but also includes rain forests, savannah, waterfalls, and other natural attractions.[1] The industry suffers from the country's poor electricity, roads, and water quality.[2]

Tourist sites

Tourist attractions in Nigeria include festivals and cultural celebrations (such as Durbar festivals in the north), the nation's national parks (such as Old Oyo, Yankari, and Cross River National Parks), and other geographical sites (such as Aso Rock, Abuja.) By far the most outstanding tourist zone is the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State. Tourism Minister Edem Duke rightly described the Mambilla Plateau as Nigeria's 'Crown Jewel of Tourism"(Blueprint, 15 August 2012; Bami-Yuno: Beyond Rhetoric: Mambilla Plateau and Tourism in Nigeria, April 2013).

Regulation and promotion.

The tourism industry is regulated by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, a Nigerian government ministry.[3]

In an attempt to raise the profile of the country's tourism sector, a beauty pageant, the Miss Tourism Nigeria Pageant, was created in 2004.[4] The winners in 2004, 2005, and 2006 have been, respectively, Shirley Aghotse,[5] Abigail Longe,[4] and Gloria Zirigbe.[6]

In recent years, carnivals have become a major attraction to visitors, particularly in Port Harcourt and Calabar in December of each year.

Revenue

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates revenue related to tourism and travel in Nigeria will exceed 10 billion $USD in 2007, and will account for approximately 6% of the gross domestic product.[7]

See also

References

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Nigeria.
  1. ↑ Archibong, Maurice (2004-03-18). "Nigeria: Gold mine waiting to be tapped". The Sun Online (The Sun Publishing Ltd.). Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  2. ↑ "Nigeria starts taking tourism sector seriously". afrol.com (afrol News). Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  3. ↑ "Honourable Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation". UNESCO.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  4. 1 2 Ekunkunbor, Jemi (2006-10-22). "Beauty queens have duties to perform- Barrister Nike Agunbiade". Vanguard online (Vanguard Media Limited). Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  5. ↑ "Abuja beckons new Miss Tourism Nigeria". The Sun Online (The Sun Publishing Ltd.). 2001-10-05. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  6. ↑ Ekunkunbor, Jemi (2006-12-24). "Winning Miss Tourism is more than an Xmas gift — Gloria Zirigbe". Vanguard online (Vanguard Media Limited). Archived from the original on 2007-01-15. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  7. ↑ "Nigeria". Wttc.org. World Travel and Tourism Council. Retrieved 2007-06-21.


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