It was a celebration of many decades of tourism in Nigeria, when the pillars of Nigerian tourism sector met on Thursday at the 2nd annual Lagos Tourism Roundtable event, put together by the Lagos Chapter of the Institute For Tourism Professionals of Nigeria (ITPN).
The event which had the backing of the Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had as Special Guest, the Lagos State Hon. Commissioner for Tourism Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson Awoyinka, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, the National President of the Institute For Tourism Professionals (ITPN), Otunba Ayo Olumoko, the Vice President (South West) ITPN, Dr Babatunde Olaide-Mesewale, Chairman, Lagos State chapter, ITPN, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, and the Guest Speaker of the day, Tourism Icon and founder of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort and other organisations, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who held the audience spellbound to a 35 minutes speech that ended in a thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
Akinboboye spoke on the theme, Diaspora Tourism: An Untapped Niche In Lagos State.
Akinboboye called attention to the advantage position that Lagos state enjoys through it’s high GDP, its relative peace as compared to the other states in the country, its ongoing deep sea port, its cosmopolitan society, insisting that Lagos State must turn the disadvantage of losing its people through slavery to the Diaspora into an advantage by receiving them back through cruise ships at Lagos deep sea port.
Akinboboye cited himself as an example of a Diaspora returnee, who came back at age 26 to contribute into the development of the continent through his activated continent initiatives weaved around Security, Entertainment and Tourism (SET). By Security, he created Corporate Guards, the first ever private security company in Africa; by Entertainment he created Atunda Entertainment that has produced several musical stars and artistes, and by Tourism, he created La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, which is today being recreated around the world.
He discloses more in his full speech in the above video.
