By Rose Oranye
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, has described the Anambra State Tourism Master Plan as a historic step towards achieving Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of a liveable and prosperous homeland.
Mefor stated this on Tuesday, while speaking with journalists after a stakeholders engagement on the establishment of the Anambra State Arts Council and Anambra State Censorship Board, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, in Awka.
According to him, the Soludo administration’s intention is to transform Anambra from a departure lounge to a destination where people can plan to visit, return to, live, work, relax, enjoy and invest, noting that tourism is integral to achieving that vision.
“If you don’t have tourism in place, people will not find a conducive environment where they can stay, discuss, close deals and make themselves comfortable,” Mefor said.
He said the master plan presented at the engagement is a holistic roadmap for tourism development in the state, adding that the presentation itself was only a summary of the over 380-page document.
Mefor explained that with the master plan now in place, the next stage is vetting by the State Executive Council and the Governor, followed by implementation.
He noted that the five major tourism sites identified are just a starting point, with more to come including non-tangible tourism components such as Onwa December, New Yam Festival and Mmanwu Festival.
The Commissioner expressed optimism that the vetting process would not take long and would be concluded before the end of the year, paving the way for the transformation of the master plan into actualities.
