Bayelsa State has been selected as the host of the 2013 National World Tourism Day (WTD) Celebrations by the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation on 
the 27th September, 2013.
This was disclosed by Mr. Johnson Odekina, Director of Tourism in the ministry at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) at the Tourism Stakeholders Forum organised by Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Odekina said the ministry settled for Bayelsa State following the failure of Ekiti State that had earlier promised to host the event at the National Council of Tourism and Culture meeting held in Ilorin in June 2012.
This is coming on the heels of the plans by the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Travel and Tourism (ANJET) to partner La Campagne Tropicana Resort in Ikegun, Lagos, to organize its own 2013 World Tourism Day (WTD) independently from that of the government.
The event, holding on the 27th of this month at the La Campagne Beach Resort, Ikegun, is in line with the theme for this year’s celebration: “Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future.”
The theme of this year’s WTD highlights tourism’s role in water access and a spotlight on the actions currently being taken by the sector in order to contribute to a more sustainable water future, as well as the challenges ahead.
Activities marking the WTD in La Campagne Tropicana will include talks on environmental sustainability and tourism; the high-point of activities at the event will be Message in a Bottle that will be sent through the ocean canvassing for more concerted efforts by all in protecting the environment.
Many nations celebrate the United Nations World Tourism Day, which is on 27th September each year; and the day aims at fostering awareness among the international community on the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.
The United Nations’ World Tourism Organization [UNWTO] invites people worldwide to participate in the World Tourism Day on the 27th September every year; and during the event, the UNWTO Secretary-General sends a message to the general public to mark the occasion.
Many tourism enterprises and organizations, as well as government agencies with special interest in tourism, celebrate the event with various special events and festivities.
It will be recalled that the celebration of World Tourism Day [WTD] in Nigeria was initiated by late Ignatius Amadu Atigbi, who was honoured by the UNWTO in 2009, when Ghana hosted the international official celebrations.
(C) Nico news