The Oyo government has begun an awareness campaign to promote its over 450 tourist centres across the state as part of its efforts to attract tourist investors.

The maiden edition of the exercise was an interactive session on tourism values, held with top civil servants in the state workforce on Friday in Ibadan.

In his remarks, at the interactive session tagged: “Know Your State, Enjoy Your State and Promote Your State,” Debo Adejumobi, the Chairman of the State Tourism Board, urged the participants to be actively involved in promoting domestic tourist sites.

According to Mr Adejumobi, for tourism to develop in the state, there is a need for various stakeholders, such as civil and public servants to spend time, often in their locality, for leisure, short holiday or entertainment.

“Oyo State is ably endowed with various unique tourism potential scattered over its nooks and crannies.

“In spite of the beautiful sites and monuments, most civil/public servants remain unaware of the sites, their locations and also importantly their tourism values,” he said.

The chairman said that the economic multiplier effects of tourism could create employment, empowerment and generate income and domestic tourism.

He said that an increase in the flow of visitors to local tourism attractions would boost trade and commerce, especially within the immediate locality of the sites.

On his part, the Special Adviser on Tourism, Ademola Ige, appealed to tourism operators and other stakeholders in the industry to key into the state government’s policy to promote over 450 tourist centres.

Commenting, the Head of Service, Ololade Agboola, urged civil servants to familiarise themselves with the tourism centres in the state to attract local and international tourists.

Mrs Agboola, who spoke through Babatunde Adeyanju, the Permanent Secretary, Service Matters, called on relevant stakeholders in the public service to ensure patronage of tourist sites within their locality.

(NAN)