Lagos Government, Thursday, disclosed of plans to partner with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) with the aim of creating a welcome desk at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, to ensure seamless operations for arriving tourists. 

Lagos Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, who disclosed this during an interactive meeting with some selected members of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET), at the Ministry’s Conference Room, in Alausa, Ikeja, Wednesday, explained that the latest decision is informed by the need to reduce the cumbersome process tourists experience in navigating their way around the state on arrival at the airport. 

According to Mrs Benson-Awoyinka, the welcome desk would also cater for every traveller’s needs, including making prompt bookings for hotel accommodation, airport transfers, among others. 

“This is one of the efforts the ministry is putting in place to encourage tourists’ inflow into the state. 

“We are going to create an atmosphere of welcome at every entry point into Lagos at the airport. 

“We are going to be working with FAAN to create a space to help tourists and travellers generally gain access to easy hotel and taxi bookings as well as need to gain access to the service of professional tour guides, tour operators and travel agents. 

“We want to showcase Lagos as a choice tourism destination to the world. We will also be partnering with bookings.com for seamless hotel reservations. 

“We want to upgrade our system to say destination Lagos has arrived,” the commissioner said. 

On efforts made to further preserve Lagos history and relay same to tourists, Benson-Awoyinka disclosed of plans to plaque the identified heritage sites within Lagos.

“We are also thinking of plaquing the heritage sites within Lagos to relay historical facts about each of the sites. 

“Also, there would be a barcode at each of the site which could be scanned on tourists’ mobile gadget and they gain access to more knowledge on the sites because plaques cannot convey all the history. 

“We will take deliberate steps to ensure Lagos residents know Lagos more and the history of the state.” 

The commissioner, therefore, advised Nigerians to ‘look inwards and take deliberate steps to visit tourism sites within Lagos.’ 

“Lagos has the best and longest coastline in Africa and there is no difference between beaches in Maldives and Seychelles when compared to what is obtainable in Ibeshe and Ilashe,” she said. 

She pledged to ensure that the state provides an enabling environment and eco-system around tourism. 

The commissioner further disclosed of plans by the state government to formally introduce ‘LAGRIDE’ as official tourism ride for Lagos. 

“So, when visitors land at the airport, they can book their ride and the taxi will be waiting to take tourists to their destinations. 

“We want Nigerians to see Lagos as a global tourism destinations, our waterway is beautiful, there is absolutely no difference between beaches in Maldives and the ones we have in Ilashe and Ibeshe. 

“We should all work toward boosting our economy by visiting our tourism destinations and reduce visit to international ones,” she said.