According to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), digital tools such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Twitter will help boost tourism marketing in the country.
Mr. Folorunsho Coker, Director General of NTDC, stated this on Friday at the South-East Tourism Stakeholders’ Forum in Enugu, with the theme “Utilizing Digital Tools for Optimization and Destination Marketing.”
Coker stated that technology has changed the tourism market, increasing reach and changing the characteristics of tourism jobs, and that the only way to promote a destination requires new skills from tourism entrepreneurs.
According to him, technology is the primary driving force behind the growth of leisure travel and other tourism products.
He went on to say that relying solely on physical contacts would be ineffective in modern society because it would render them obsolete.
“The digital revolution has resulted in changes in production, distribution, and consumption culture, as well as a blurring of the divide between race, wealth, and culture.”
“It has increased global access and reach of content across borders in a relatively short period of time, with larger impacts and a broader reach.”
“Digital tools aid in the promotion of existing tourism assets such as music, films, fashion, sports, food, and festivals,” Coker explained.
He stated that in the past, digital tools such as websites, email marketing, and search engine optimizations for Google search were the primary tools for destination marketing deployment.
“However, a slew of new options have emerged, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter.”
“As a result, we have all gathered here to develop proactive and sustainable ideas that will properly organize the sectors and accelerate its development in the country and South-East zone,” he said.
The director stated that this was the third meeting in a series, and that the corporation would ensure that similar meetings were held across the country, and that resolutions from these meetings would be given due consideration.
Mr. Ugoing to Ibe, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Enugu State, noted in his remarks that there was a significant gap between technology-driven and globally connected tourism businesses because traditional ones had yet to adapt to digitalize business practices.
Ibeh stated that Nigerians must engage in high-tech digital activities in order to keep up with global digital technology, which has changed people’s ways of living, doing business, and traveling.
“In order to compete globally, we must align ourselves with transformative digital technology and innovations,” said Ibe.
Prof. I.C Nwauzigbo, speaking on the topic, stated that digital technology creates opportunities and attracts foreign inflows for a country that adopts it.
Nwauzigbo from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka’s Hospitality and Tourism Department, added that good quality services and customer satisfaction increased patronage and sustained the sector.
The event’s highlights included the bestowing of the chieftaincy title “Enyi Ndi Igbo (Friend of the Igbo)” on Coker, as well as cultural displays.
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