NIGERIAs strategic marketing and promotion efforts targeted at global travellers have earned it the best exhibitor award of the prestigious German University, Cologne Business School.Adjudged as a leading light in Africa within the circle of attendees of the International Tourism Business Fair (ITB), which is in its 46th edition, the German school nominated Nigeria, based on its rising profile hinged on consistency of its tourism action plans, hospitality offerings, stand designs and visibility, diverse cultures and the warm reception to visitors and tourists at its stand.Julia Dorner and Lars Perling of the Cologne Business School presented the award certificate to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) at Nigerias stand in Berlin, Germany.They described the award as a strong indication and confirmation of its arrival and acceptance in the global tourism market as a key destination.We have been following Nigerias determined drive in the last four years to make a tourism statement and are impressed with the consistency and vibrancy brought into the German market, notably, the various innovations, stand designs and tourism product offerings, Dorner stated.In his acceptance speech, the NTDC boss, Chief Olusegun Runsewe, said: I feel proud that Nigeria is making waves in the global tourism market. This is happening at a time the Federal Government of Nigeria is giving the tourism sector all the necessary support to ensure tourism grows the nations Gross Domestic Product substantially.The award would further fuel our zeal for strong economic returns for Nigeria through tourism, while the NTDC will not relent in giving the best to tourism in Nigeria and on the African continent.Runsewe maintained that the award further justified the modest efforts of the corporation at repositioning tourism in Nigeria in the last five years.Meanwhile, the NTDC is to sign a business pact on the promotion and marketing of Nigerias tourism and business opportunities in the United States of America as the partner concept, an American based tour company has entered into talks with the country on the matter.The president of the company, Paul Cohen and the senior consultant, Williams Maloney, were both at the Nigeria stand at the just concluded international travel and tourism trade exhibition and held discussions with the Director General of the NTDC on having the company as its agent in the American market.Runsewe, who disclosed to the press that he was satisfied with the resume of the company and also the proposal presented, said it was a unique opening for the country to have such a global company operating from the US represent and market its tourism interest from the US where it expects a huge traffic, especially blacks and Nigerians living in the country.The NTDC boss, who commended the organisers of ITB Berlin for constantly improving on the business environment and opportunities for countries and operators to conduct business at the fair, added that the NTDC would continue to explore every available opportunity to reach out to its target audience across the world.Winning the confidence of the European market and that of America, he said, was good for the country as the country had vast and rich potentials that could be delivered to these markets. With the expected Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed between it and the America based company, Runsewe said that Nigeria should begin to expect the benefit of such a deal to trickle in, once it was activated.Partnerconcept at present is in bilateral ties with a number of African countries such as Mali, Ethiopia and Botswana where it has helped to promote traffic from America and other parts of the world to these countries. It is also expected to do the same for the Nigerian market with Maloney who is very keen on helping Nigeria saying that Nigeria had a great potential, hence the company was partnering with NTDC to sell the country to the world.He assured the DG of the capacity and ability of the company to deliver on its promise once the MoU is signed and activated, adding that the company possessed the experience and exposure given its dealings over the years with the global market to help Nigeria realise its dream of opening its tourism market to Americans and the Diaspora, among others.According to Maloney, Partnerconcept specialises in the development of custom integrated marketing programmes for destinations and fortunate 500 companies worldwide.However, former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Lecha Walesy, has commended the Nigerian delegates for putting up a well decorated pavilion, stocked with colourful promotional materials on offer at the International Tourism Business (ITB) in Berlin, Germany.Mr Walesy, who said Nigeria had been consistent with its illustrative promotional materials, said he deliberately came to the Nigerian stand because he was impressed by the colourful promotional materials.The former polish leader who came in company with officials of his Foundation, LVI, described the stand as beautiful, and would encourage people to come to Nigeria.It would be recalled that Mr Walesy was the labour leader who started the struggle to end communist dictatorship in Eastern Europe, starting with his home country, Poland.
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