The fundamental of tourism is not only develop and promote tourist products and services, but also to invest practical efforts at sustaining a responsible and genuine platform for onward marketing of human and economic activities to create direct benefits, legacy and generational impact on a community, town, city or country.In addition, tourism splendours that attract people from one geographical location to another are also significantly the Midas touch of custodians on their revered manmade and natural tourist sites.Subsequently, most of the world's destinations are not very fascinating, but the genuine stories, infrastructures, events and beautifications the custodians invented and invested into making them must visit, turn around the attractions to not only an avenue to creating employment and boosting international patronage, but also generating huge revenue to meeting economic demands.However, this scenario has made Miami, Florida in the USA to lay claim as the second tourism capital of the world, with the proudly location of one of the Disneyland among other interesting and fascinating tourism destinations to be reckoned with.Nevertheless, different newer initiatives kept on springing up by the day. The question now is, what are those things they have that we do not have here in Nigeria' What are they doing that we are not doing right' In addition, if we do not have what they had, then what areas of tourism do we have comparative advantage, and how could Nigeria go about developing them to boost human and economic activities'It was on these grounds that the Osun's Village and African Caribbean Cultural Arts Corridor (ACCAC), Miami, Florida, recently, visited the Oyo State government for a collaboration on how to functionally develop and promote domestic tourism in Oyo State, in order to prepare the tourism products therein for foreign patronage and also to empower the teeming people of the state.TTM in a chat with the founder ACCCAC and Osun's Village, a socio-cultural and economic driven enclave in Miami, Florida, Chief Nathaniel B Styles Jr. in Ibadan, recently, spoke passionately about the untapped cultural- tourism potentialities in Oyo State, adding that it is high time the government started harnessing the rich deposits of nature coupled with the ingenuity of the Yoruba entrepreneurship heritage. The synergy was to establish a formal international investment, trade, culture, tourism exchange vis-a-vis support to creating employment mechanism for artisans to explore their full potentialities by building and inventing exceptional trend in different skills acquisition programme.Styles said efforts for the smooth sail of partnership between ACCAC and Oyo State government assured last week when he presented a statutory document from the Florida senate district 59 to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, adding that with rapt attention and holistic embrace by the State government, he believed that the state is ready for genuine tourism development.According to Styles, 'A Florida Senator's proclamation, which was written in parts by Senator Lercenia J Bullard recognising the Osun's Village and African Caribbean Cultural Arts Corridor (ACCAC) as an entity set up to honour the global community who celebrate the art, culture and heritage of the people of African descent throughout the Diaspora.In addition, Styles explained that the proclamation of the Florida Senate district 59 recognised the Oyo State, Community Builders HDC and ACCAC and Osun's Village collaboration as a vital link in a historic and cultural cross-continental claim that purposefully forges pathways to a bright future of cooperation built on intercontinental crossroads of the past.'Whereas Community Builders HDC and ACCAC's exchange with Oyo State is designed to promote workforce development in the cultural industry, social exchange by creating access through transportation and cross-cultural awareness to stimulate economic growth throughout urban communities and international trade and commerce.' 'On product development, we see culture and tourism as a tool that can drastically impact positively on the people of Oyo State and our goal is to build the capacity of the people so that they can be economically empowered, hence increasing the internally generated revenue base of the state.Styles explained that the tourism collaborative awareness begins with the officials by getting the proclamation and information from the state of Florida, fully documented and develop strategies to give an idea of the economic potential and impact of tourism, travel and trade have on the state. On the ACCAC visit to Oyo State, Styles said that Governor Ajimobi was pleased and committed to collaboration with the state of Florida. We will launch formally the collaboration in the month of December in Florida where we will be celebrating Oyo international trade and investment symposium, exhibition and a cultural tourism and travel display.'The collaborative initiative will involve the training of indigenous craftsmen so that the manpower capacity can be built, so that they could develop their own businesses to drive and sustain the tourism plan.'In this regard, the Oyo State Assembly is also working on a partnership bill, which will be passed into law in line with the proclamation of the Florida Senate's district 59, to fostering a cordial and mutual understanding between the duo.'He assured that the plan is to build a tourism platform that will commensurate with Ibadan, which is known to be the city of the first in Nigeria, as it has the first television station, premier university among others.'So our plight is to channel resources and logistics to practically match our innovation with culture of the people and the aesthetic value of the people's heritage.'Maimi Travel and Tourism fast fact'11.9 million overnight visitors to greater Miami and the beaches contributed to the local businesses and employment.'Also $107 million in tourist-related taxes was generated by visitors.'102,500 people were employed by the visitor industry.'More than $16.5 billion was spent by visitors on lodging, food, shopping, transportation and entertainment.'28 per cent of the state sales taxes collected in greater Miami and the beaches was generated by visitors.'Greater Miami and the beaches ranked second in the hotel room occupancy and hotel room rate in the state of Florida.'Greater Miami and beaches ranked fourth in hotel room occupancy and hotel room rate among the top 25 US hotel markets.
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