HOW TO DEVELOP TOURISM IN BAYELSA STATE The World over, tourism is recognized as the growth and a huge foreign exchange earner. Tourism is a very potent force in the world. As a foreign exchange earner, it accounts for over 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This marks tourism out as a major player and catalyst for sustainable development. Most countries make huge investments in the tourism industry because of its potential to create job opportunities, improve local livelihoods, encourage economic growth and alleviate poverty. Tourism is most advantageous because it is a renewable source of revenue, and is capable of generating incentives for conservation of natural and cultural assets. The news that Bayelsa State is developing the long awaited ox-bow lake resort and other major tourist destinations has come as a relief to tourism watchers. It is coming at a time when the President has no choice but to get involved in the development of the tourism environment in his home State. Tourism was the key development strategy adopted by the Goodluck Jonathan dispensation as Government of Bayelsa State in 2006. Today, tourism resurfaces as the most urgent direction for present and coming dispensations in the State. We can begin to appreciate the foresight of the then Governor Goodluck Jonathan in adopting the tourism strategy, for the development of State. The following strongly reawakens the long standing as to what exactly would amount to the best strategy for diversifying the Bayelsa mono-product economy. Economically, tourism is labour intensive, offering many opportunities for both skilled and semi-skilled. In Ghana, for instance, tourism provides direct employment in accommodation, restaurant, tour and travel operations. It also provides indirect employment in the tourism supplying sector such as agriculture, craft production and transport. Also additional employment is induced through local spending. Apart from contributions to government revenue fees and levies, licensed fees paid by hotels restaurant, tour and travel operations, casinos tourism brings in general development in the area of accommodation, transportation, telecommunication and road network. A range of other activities are stimulated by tourism development, such as agriculture, manufacturing, high technology and communication. Tourism encourages small and medium-sized businesses which in turn help to generate service and entrepreneurial skills. Socially, tourism improves the living standards of the local people and helps in the improvement of the community’s facilities and services. It also helps to conserve the cultural heritage of an area which otherwise might be lost as a result of the urban-industrial complex. Tourism contributes immensely to the development and maintains museums, theatres and other cultural facilities. In a global scale, tourism provides the opportunity for across-cultural exchange between tourists and residence that learn about and come to respect one another’s culture. Eco-tourism can mix well with cultural tourism to transform Bayelsa State into a built up economy. The Governor Dickson regime is determined to make converted efforts to transform the multiple Rivers, streams, beaches and mangrove swamp of Bayelsa State into tourism sites. The vision propelled the formation of the ministry of Tourism Development which has put together a stakeholder’s conference to dialogue on best practices to enhance tourism development. The ministry is also exploring possible bilateral relations and partnerships with Ghana, Malaysia and Austria. Team members of the Ministry of Tourism & Development will after the stakeholders conference is off to Ghana on a tour and capacity building retreat. According to the World Conservation Union; “Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature and cultural features both past and present, that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations”. The WTO estimates that cultural tourism has been growing at a rate of 15% annually and that 37% of all international travel includes a cultural component. Some authorities believe that cultural tourism is the fastest growing and most lucrative segment of the North American travel industry. While there is no one standard definition of cultural tourism that has been adopted globally, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) defined it thus: Cultural and heritage tourism occurs when participation in a cultural, educational, or heritage experience is a significant factor in a trip. This could involve: Museums and Galleries; performing, literary and visual arts; festivals and events; historic sites and heritage attractions, local customs and cuisines etc. TEN KEY PRINCIPLES FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT 1. Sustainable tourism development largely depends upon well defined national tourism strategies and tourism development plans at the national and local levels. 2. The tourism industry must endeavour to develop tourism in an environmentally responsible manner recognizing that the maintenance of the natural resource base which supports the industry is the ultimate responsibility of the industry. 3. The integration of tourism development into programmes ensures that development is within the environmental carrying capacity of the area and conflicts with other coastal activities are minimized. 4. Environmental assessment provides a structured approach to predicting potential impacts and incorporating mitigation measures during design, construction and operation phases. 5. Tourism developers and national and local authorities must cooperate in developing and implementing measures to minimize physical alteration and its impacts during the construction phase. 6. A range of management measures and technologies should be utilized to limit the negative impacts of coastal tourism during the operational phase. 7. Long-term monitoring and assessment provide a mechanism for detecting adverse environmental and social effects that may arise, and facilitate appropriate mitigation measures in a timely manner. 8. Effective consultation with all primary stakeholders including the local community contributes significantly to the long-term success of coastal tourism projects. 9. Sustainable tourism development requires the strengthening of human resources, and institutional capacities amongst all sectors involved at several levels. 10. Governments, international and regional organizations, industry and tourism-related NGOs should cooperate on development and the transfer of environmentally-sustainable tourism methodologies and technologies. The Governor Dickson administration lays a lot of emphasis on Tourism Development, and with the pace of development, tourism may well be the cash cow of the State next to crude oil. Bayelsa State is blessed with immense tourist attractions, which unfortunately have not been fully developed. Below is a list of Eco/Tourism sites in Bayelsa that could turn around the fortunes of Bayelsa State if invested in and developed. S/N NAME LOCATION DESCRIPTION 1. Lake Efi tourist attraction Sabagreia Kolokuma/Opokuma local government A natural lake where the popular fishing festival Lake-Efi Fishing festival takes place. 2. Lake Amassoma Which is 3km long and 500m in width, with a peculiar curving course. It is the site for the popular Seigben Ogugu Fishing and Feasting Festival, itself a popular tourist attraction. 3. Akassa Slave Tunnel Ogbokiri, Akassa, Bayelsa State. Standing grim-looking houses where slaves were chained as they awaited shipment to the Americans. 4. The Akassa Lighthouse Standing approximately 60m tall by the seaside in Akassa, this structure is reputed to be the tallest lighthouse in West Africa. Originally built in 1910, but relocated to its present site in 1912. Its purpose was to help ships coming into the inland sea ports navigate their way through shallow waters. The lighting system was facilitated by solar energy. 5. The British Consulate Building Brass In from where they administered the area during the era of ‘legitimate trade’. The consulate buildings were still in use till the end of the colonial period in 1960. 6. Whiteman Graveyard Nembe This is a cemetery containing the graves of Europeans who died in Anglo-Nembe War popularly called the Akassa war of 1895. This was sparked by the way the local palm oil trade was coming under the increasing control of the Royal Niger Company at the expense of indigenous traders. The dawn attack of more than a thousand Nembe warriors on the company’s headquarters was led by king William koko. The graveyard tells a vivid story of the raid and its bloody aftermath. It is located at Twon-Brass, Brass Island and can be easily reached from the Brass jetty. 7. Glory Land Castle Yenagoa 8. Peace Park “ 9. Oxbow lake Yenagoa 10. The national oil museum Oloibiri, Ogbia LGA First Oil well drilled in 1956. 11. Late Fredrick William Koko Nembe Kg. Fredrick led the Akassa raid in 1868. 12. Isaac Adaka Boro memorial monument Kaiama Reminiscent of Niger Delta Struggle. 13. Bronze heads Opume Ogbia LGA Mysterious Antiques 14. The Okpoma Beach Twon Brass Recreational site 15. The Olodiama museum Nembe Museum of ancient story 16. The Agriculture palmbeach Ekeremor Farm settlement 17. Ancient War Boat Regatta Nembe 1500-1850 Reminiscence 18. Achiever Farm Igbogene Recreational site 19. The mangrove museum Nembe Tourist attraction 20. King Ockiya mausoleum Nembe King Josiah Constantine Ockiya who invited gospel into the country in 1868. 21. Ogidigan Deity Nembe Bassambiri Sacred Diety 22. The Odi holiday resort Kolga Recreational centre 23. Neighbourhood aquatic resort Yenagoa Aqua culture The model of this structure is on exhibition at our temporary site on Melford Okilo Expressway. It will fully compliment Gloryland Cultural Centre in the provision of Cultural services to Bayelsans and the people of the Niger Delta. 2. Community Museums We plan to work with communities around the State to establish local Community Museums. These institutions will exhibits and preserve objects of value in their hove environment for the use and enjoyment of their owners and to visitors and tourists. 3. MONUMENTS As soon as funds are provided, we will go out to all communities to identify all Cultural sites and Monuments throughout Bayelsa State. We will map and document them, and take steps to work with local communities and owners of such monuments to maintain them. We know that monuments come in categories from Family to Local Communities monuments to State and National. We hope to find monuments that we may successfully present to UNESCO as International Heritage Monuments. Bayelsa State has done fairly in the performing arts because of its Gloryland Cultural Centre. The Bayelsa State Heritage Museum provides a complementary institution for the presentation and promotion of the material cultural resources of the people of Bayelsa State, and the Niger Delta. The Museum shall be relevant to the daily lives of the people to attract both local visitors and foreign tourists. It shall be managed as an integrated cultural system, combining the functions of a conventional museum and a craft and visual arts development centre. The complex provides for Gift Shops, a Museum Kitchen, Research Facilities, Arts and Craft Workshops, as well as outdoor performance and activity areas. The grounds will be professionally landscaped and kept. The Heritage Museum will garner the varied products of Niger Delta culture, civilization and history from archaeological excavations, finds from building and construction sites, systematic ethnographic collection, traditional and contemporary modern arts and craft work. The museum Kitchen will showcase the culinary arts and cuisine of the Niger Delta and of Nigeria in general. It will provide catering services to visitors, and complement the services providing by the hotels and restaurants in the neighbourhood. The Museum Library will provide facilities for a limited number of research scholars, and provide for professional and academic conferences, and meeting places for public use. The crafts and visual arts development centre will provide facilities for practical training and practice. Master artists and craft specialists will hold training workshops to teach the youth the skills to become self-employed. The centre will link such men and women to the world through the tourists and the communication facilities of the Museum. There is a wide range of arts and crafts in many media and material available in the Niger Delta to be developed and introduced to the local and international market. There shall be provision for the exhibition of several Nigerian, African and other appropriate arts and cultural material, with particular focus on Bayelsa State and Niger Delta culture and civilization. Each of the Senatorial Districts and administrative units should be represented in focused exhibitions in designated areas. POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF TOURISM PLANNING IN BAYELSA STATE: • Establishing the overall tourism development objectives and policies, namely, what is tourism aiming to accomplish and how these aims can be achieved; • Developing tourism so that its natural and cultural resources are indefinitely maintained and conserved for future, as well as present, use; • Integrating tourism into the overall development policies and patterns of the country or region, and establishing those linkages between tourism and other economic sectors; • Providing a rational basis for decision-making by both the public and private sectors on tourism development. • Enabling the coordinated development of all the many elements of the tourism sector. This includes interrelating tourist attractions, activities, facilities and services and the various and increasingly fragmented tourist markets; • Proving a physical structure which guides the location, types and extent of tourism development of attractions, facilities, services and infrastructure; • Establishing the guidelines and standards for preparing detailed plans of specific tourism development areas that are consistence with, and reinforce, one another, and for the appropriate design of tourist facilities. • Laying the foundation for effective implementation of the tourist development policy and planning and continuous management of the tourism sector, by providing the necessary organization and other institutional framework; • Proving the framework for effective coordination of public and private sector efforts and investment in developing tourism; • Offering a baseline for the continuous monitoring of the progress of tourism development and keeping tourism. • Offering a baseline for the continuous monitoring of the progress of tourism development and keeping it on track. CONCLUSION: Bayelsa is rich in tourism destinations. All that is required is its development and come 2013-2014, Bayelsa should be able to host international events. With this insight, the State government is determined to partner with investors in the sector to implement a sustainable tourism policy. For the Tourism industry to flourish, Bayelsa State provides hospitality training, businesses that will provide business skills training within a legal framework that promotes investment. Governor Seriake Dickson appears to have provided the answer by establishing the Bayelsa State the International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management. Government has also given a boost to the development of our culture and tradition including the language, but the State Government must also increase and refine marketing strategies and skills and encourage inclusion of value-added products, facilitate regional networking and make the business of developing capacity in ideally situated communities outside Yenagoa. If the Restoration government follows the Tourism Master Plan laid out to boost the sector, the assertion that Bayelsan State is well on her way to become the hub of Tourism in the West African Sub-region can only be germane. From the Desk of the Bayelsa Social Media Chief.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 06:22:41 +0000
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