As most countries around the world gears up efforts at tapping their huge tourism potentials, China and Nigeria have pledged to deepen their relations in the area of Cultural Tourism Ex-change.
This resolution formed part of the highlights at the opening ceremony of the China Tourism Cultural Week in Abuja. China Tourism Cultural Week is an annual one week long programme that is aimed at showcasing the countries potentials, and to deepen it's ex-changes with Nigeria.
Counselor Li introduces the local products from Hainan to the guests
While declaring the event opened, the Cultural Counselor at the embassy of the People's Republic of China, and the director of the Chinese Cultural Centre, Abuja, Mr Li Xuda, expressed gratitude for the efforts at promoting the tourism and cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria.
He explained that the tagline of the 2019 China Tourism and Culture Week is "China Beyond Your Imagination."
In his word, "The aims to showcase a real China and its modern development, as well as promote tourism and cultural co-operation between China and the rest of the world, "The centres and tourism offices overseas have been hosting more than 250 cultural and tourism events in more than 40 countries," Mr Li said.
Counselor Li is interviewed by the local TV station
Speaking on the modalities for the weeklong event, Mr Li explained that, in the spirit of the programme, a 11-member delegation were on a visit from China's island of Hainan Province.
He further explained that the visiting delegation consists of creative professionals in the field of Tourism, creative arts and intangible cultural heritage experts from Hainan.
"The China Cultural Centre and Hainan Tourism Culture Department will jointly present an exhibition of the creative cultural products. "Furthermore, there will be training for school children, a series of special seminars on Tourism will also be held later. After attending these wonderful event, I'm sure you will definitely experience Hainan's culture," Mr Li explained.
The leader of the Chinese delegation, Xiao Hui, noted that Chinese Province of Hainan was proud of Nigeria and desirous to do more to promote influx of Nigerians visiting the Hainan Province of China.
Mr. Xiao Hui, Head of the Chinese delegation, promotes Hainan's tourist products
Mr Xiao seized the opportunity to highlight some of the natural and man-made tourism potentials of Hainan Province of China.
On the lesson Nigeria has to learn from China's culture and tourism development, the Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe said, China has done commendable well in the area of tourism development, explaining that Nigeria has a lot of lesson to borrow from China, as it seems to broaden it earning from tourism.
He promised that China will be given special pavilion at the Nigerian Festival for Arts and Culture.
Otunba Olusegun Runsewe speaks on the Sino-Nigerian tourism cooperation
Speaking on "Prospects of the Nigerian Tourism Industry," the Director General of Nigerian Tourism Development Commission, Mr Folorunsho Cooker observed that Nigeria is hugely blessed with exciting tourism potentials - both the natural and human-made; the conventional and the new mediums of cultural expressions (music, movies and food, among others).
He confirmed that these potentials dotted the landscape of all the nooks and crannies of the country, and not only do they have these great potentials and assets, the tourism industry, against all odds, are fast growing in the country.