by Mitchelle Uzorka
Rivers State Tourism Development Agency (RSTDA) is poised to explore collaborations with institutions and agencies locally and in the diaspora to promote, preserve and propagate our tourism assets.
“In it’s continued efforts to go from local to global, the CNN African Voices ( Change Makers) Crew were on ground in Rivers State to interview and follow up on RSTDA efforts to making the Creative Economy a Tool-Kit for sustainable growth.
RSTDA, visited Ikuru Town/Beach and Oyorokoto fishing village both located on the Andoni Island in Andoni Local Government Area.”
“Ikuru Town is home to one of the richest Rain Forest in Nigeria and accommodates the endangered West African Elephants which are sometimes seen on the beach and around the community.”
“The beach covers the longest shoreline in West Africa and is adorned with pristine white sand and very suitable for holiday makers and eco-tourism.”
“Oyorokoto is a fishing settlement and is the largest fishing settlement in West Africa sub region.”
“Time has proven to us that potential is not enough. Because, whereas we are a region positioned potentially for great strides, our approach leaves more to be desired in terms of practical development.
The Creative Economy is a mine yet to be explored. We may as well give it some attention.
The Creative industry is amongst the main dynamic sectors of world trade, and an important contributor to the economy of developed countries.
Rivers State is extremely rich in the Culture and Tourism industry.”
“Africa generates about $ 1 BN US ( UN report 2018) from the export of it’s creative industry which is less than 1% of the size of the world market.”
“In Rivers State we need to stimulate and bring together identified assets and resources within our States creative industry’s ecosystem, to be the nexus of our creative economy to stimulate, consolidate the creative, tourism and cultural industry’s’ fragmented ecosystem into a sustainable impactful asset that contributes to her transformation.
Therefore, strategic engagement to achieve the objective bothers firstly on understanding without preconceived notions, as sponsored and promoted in the mainstream and lately social media space. All of those negative narrative seeks to dissuade and discourage development.”
“Ultimately, the agency is poised to explore collaborations with institutions and agencies locally and in the diaspora to promote, preserve and propagate our tourism assets.”
“The Rivers State Tourism Development Agency (RSTDA) is an Autonomous entity of the Rivers State Government backed by the constitutional provisions of the state to Drive, Develop, Deploy and Domesticate the Culture, Arts, Heritage and Creative Economy Commodities for the productivity and competitiveness of the 23 Tourism Marketplaces across 26 ethnic groups in the 23 LGAs of Rivers State.
The Agency is empowered to activate Culture and Creative Industry Investment Partnerships that will readily enable the socio-economic well- being of the state whilst creating a Non-Oil Commodity Exchange based on soft Heritage Tourism Development Projects.”
