The world tourism day was declared by the United Nations on the 27th September , 1980 and each year, 27th September is celebrated as world tourism day.
This year's theme is Tourism and the Digital Transformation.
The world over is advancing in digitalization, and global tourism. Tourism has the potentials to remove a nation from poverty and stagnation. Tourism can sell a state, nation and continent and launch her to global reckoning and we as a tourism destination Cross River State must take this opportunity with the natural resources God has bestowed on us.
A state like Cross River must begin to look towards the direction of medical tourism. It is on record that a lot of Nigerians travel abroad for medical check up. Which runs in billions of naira yearly. We must not let this great opportunity of generating so much money elude us.
The government must take tourism as her priority by building world class hospitals for our people. We can have a diagnostic and treatment center for cancer, liver, kidney, diabetes, glaucoma, heart diseases, a geriatric center for the aged, a pediatric center for children, a cardiovascular center, an eye hospital and many more.
The state has the Obudu Ranch Resort, the Marina Resort, the Agbokim Waterfalls, the Cross River National Park, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, the Oban Hills, the Slave Trade Museum in Calabar, the Obong Palace, the Kwa Falls, the Monorail, Calabar International Conference Center( CICC) the famous Atimbo spot for bush meat and plantain, the rich culture, heritage and delicacies of the people of Cross River, the Calabar Carnival and many more.
People can come for medical check- up and have some form of rest while recuperating. We must not let the industry go fallow.
The government of Cross River has to look into the enormous opportunities in this sector by investing in medical tourism.
The facilities are available, the General Hospital Calabar can be equipped with world class facilities to handle patients coming to the Southern part of the State, the General Hospital Ogoja can be upgraded into Cross River University Of Technology Teaching Hospital (CRUTECH Teaching Hospital) since the medical department is in Ogoja.
I am very optimistic that if the state government can put her energy into this sector and give it the needed boost, businesses would thrive, small restaurants will make money, the market woman, hotel owners and the general public would be a beneficiaries as even our young people can be tourism tour guides
May we work towards protecting our culture and tourism potentials.
Happy World Tourism Day !
Prince Thomas Abi
0 Comments