The Women in Business and Tourism (WIBAT) in Nigeria has tasked the Federal and State Governments to develop tourism potentials in the country for job creation.
This was disclosed by the National President of WIBAT, Mrs Sophia Khan, in Enugu during the inauguration of the State chapter of the WIBAT on Saturday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
They also advocated for proper integration and recognition of members of the association in the tourism industry, to enable them contribute more to the economic growth of the nation.
What WIBAT is saying about tourism
Khan explained that there were lots of tourism potentials in the country, which if harnessed, would attract foreign investors.
She pointed out that United Arab Emirates (UAE) had developed and transformed her tourism industry and had invented hospitality, medical and fashion tourism, which was generating a lot of revenue for them.
Khan, however, said that WIBAT had provided women in tourism business a platform to come together with the sole aim of networking and supporting themselves.
According to her, it is only through network and support that women will get to the peak of their vision of making exploits in the tourism business.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Enugu State, Mr Ugonna Ibeh, described the inauguration as apt as it was coming at a time when the state government had perfected plans to open up its tourism potentials.
While pledging the readiness of his ministry to partner with the body, especially in the area of creating employment opportunities, Ibeh noted that they had shown enough capacity to do so.
The commissioner stressed that the state government would provide an enabling environment for the private sector to contribute their quota in the development of the state, as the government could not do everything on its own.
Earlier in her opening remark, the Enugu State President of the Association, Mrs Chioma Obi, pointed out that WIBAT was a collection of female entrepreneurs who were desirous of changing the status quo and negative narrative about women.
She maintained that they had risen above societal intimidation by working with like minds to ensure that their voices were not only heard but also recognised in Nigeria and Africa.