Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, on Tuesday, said efforts were ongoing to enhance tourism sites around the state to match international standards.
Mr. Otu told reporters in Calabar that this was done to draw both domestic and foreign visitors to the state.
He stated that in addition to other things, the state was striving to build the infrastructure required to increase tourism in the sectors of lodging and transportation.
“In order to improve our tourist destinations, we are now educating staff both inside and outside the state. To bring some of them up to date with modern standards, we are collaborating with investors.
We’re working to make sure our roadways are maintained right now. Since it has become evident that there are too many priorities and that we must assist ourselves, we will no longer wait on the federal government.
“We want to ensure people easily access those tourism sites with very little difficulty and we are looking at stabilising our product pricing by making sure transportation is improved. We’ll investigate trains, electricity, and gas.
“We will also enhance aviation,” he declared.
Speaking about the just finished Calabar Carnival, Mr. Otu praised the bands that participated and those who did not for their outstanding contributions, which made the celebration a success.
Throughout the nine months that the carnival was being prepared, he expressed gratitude to everyone who worked behind the scenes.
He claimed that the carnival was enhanced with advice from distinguished academics, researchers, individual artists, and numerous other experts.
Given the necessity of reviving the international carnival, he stated, the state would endeavor to guarantee the establishment of top-notch lodging facilities prior to the subsequent event.
He mentioned that a post-carnival evaluation would be conducted by the state to determine what needs to be improved and what additional programs should be launched.
In 2025, he stated, the state will think about creating diaspora bands, depending on the review’s findings.
“International Carnival will still take place; in 2025, we’re considering the possibility of well-known diaspora bands.” In order to correct the situation, we will conduct a post-carnival review this time.
We know that hotels were completely booked three to four months before the Calabar Carnival. Therefore, in addition to having a sufficient number of hotels, we are working to upgrade them to international standards.
This is because, with our international carnival in place, the upcoming Calabar Carnival would have a larger scope.
“We have hotels that are nearly finished that can compete with any hotel across the world; we already have international hospitality facilities that are moving here,” he stated.
Mr. Otu expressed his enthusiasm for the thrilling performance by those with physical disabilities at the carnival.
He promised to look into the possibilities of having a carnival band specifically for them in 2025.
“No matter what obstacles they encounter, we do not believe that they are limited. There must be a policy, but we are examining some of the items they have presented to us.
“We are considering putting in place a suitable framework that will work for them. The head of the Carnival Commission will thus determine whether they truly require their own band in order to support them on the carnival front,” he stated.
