The Federal Government (FG), has summoned a meeting of the steering committee of the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT).
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this when he received a delegation from the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
The minister said the meeting, scheduled for Sept. 6, would facilitate the resuscitation of PCT to be chaired by Presidential Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the council, the highest policy and decision-making and implementation body on tourism development, was key to repositioning the sector.
Mohammed noted that because of the multifaceted nature of tourism, its development cannot be on the shoulder of a ministry, but through shared responsibilities among organs of government and the private sector.
He recalled that the ministry had written to the President for the urgent need to resuscitate the council to reposition the tourism sector and make it a mainstay of revenue and employment generation.
The minister restated the importance of perception to the development of tourism and called on the critical stakeholders to work together to build good image for the country.
He specifically called on the media to stop projecting the nation in bad light but to build the perception of safety for the country.
He assured that government will continue to engage FTAN and other critical stakeholders in its efforts to transform tourism to another veritable source of revenue.
President of FTAN, Chief Tomi Akingbogun, commended the minister for his efforts, drive and commitment to the development of the sector.
He urged the government to address the challenge of multiplicity of taxes in the sector and the lack of national career to boost tourism. (NAN)