The Travel Writers’ Corps on Tuesday in Bayelsa State has expressed readiness to partner with the state government and other critical stakeholders to create tourism demand in the state.

The Corps noted that a Renaissance in the tourism sector of the state would drive the economic growth agenda as articulated by the Governor Douye Diri administration.

The Chairman of the Corps, Mr. Piriye Kiyaramo, told reporters in Yenagoa that the tourism sector of the state had potentials to boost its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile.

He urged the Bayelsa Government to launch Bayelsa State Culture and Tourism Endowment Fund and tourism master plan as the engine room to drive the development and promotion of the tourism sector in the state.

According to him tourism is a catalyst that could be used to drive the local economy with a view to achieving the goals of sustainable peace and job creation.

Kiyaramo described the theme of the 2020 edition of World Tourism Day, “Tourism and Rural Development”, as appropriate.

He said that tourism play a unique role in providing opportunities outside of big cities and in preserving cultural and natural heritages all around the world.

He said the unique role that tourism play had made it an extremely labour intensive and significant source of employment for many global economies.

“The tourism sector therefore is not only an engine for economic growth, but also an effective tool for poverty alleviation among the marginalised segments of the society,” he said.

According to him, tourism also impacts and extend to other sectors, making it responsible for creating direct and indirect employment and requiring varying degrees of skills which facilitate quick entry into the workforce for youth, women and poor.

Kiyaramo said the economic potentials of tourism, being the world’s largest and fastest growing industry, creates one in every 11 jobs, contributes to international and regional economic growth.

He said the Bayelsa Travel Writers’ Corps was ready to partner with government and other critical stakeholders to create tourism demand in the state.

Kiyaramo explained that they would achieve the feat through well-articulated marketing networks, intended to jump start critical economic trickle-down effect that would facilitate the growth of community based enterprises, which would lead to job creation and poverty alleviation.

He also proposed a “One Village, One Product” pilot scheme to assist local communities in the state to discover their rich cultural tourism resource with a view to regenerating their cultural infrastructure.

Kiyaramo regretted that, though the state boasts of alluring beaches in addition to the rich wetlands, no attention had been paid to the huge marine tourism potentials in the area.

He further said that the State Government could leverage on tourism to explore the potentials, with a view to creating job opportunities in rural communities.

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