… says agritourism practices will proffer solutions to the economic hardships in rural communities
Chairman, Akwa Ibom Tourism & Hospitality Practitioners’ Association (AKTHOPA), Amb. Usen Udoh has commended Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno for his proactive steps towards building a vibrant rural economy through agro-business initiative, assuring that it would proffer solution to the economic hardship in rural communities with a view to facilitating quick recovery of the local economy.
Amb. Udoh, CEO/Managing Director of Legacy Tourism Development Services Ltd, Uyo, who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Saturday against the backdrop of Gov. Umo Eno’s call on local government chairmen to donate 50 to 100 hectares of land to the state government to engage rural communities in farming with provision of seedlings and other inputs by government in readiness to offtake the proceeds, described the new rural agro-empowerment scheme as the best way to drive agritourism to improve livelihoods at the grassroots.
The chairman of the indigenous self-regulated tourism association, incidentally founded by Pastor Umo Eno before veering into politics to regulate tourism and hospitality businesses noted that agritourism provides communities with the potential to increase their local tax bases and employment opportunities, while providing educational opportunities to the public, helping to preserve agricultural lands, and allowing rural communities to develop their own business enterprises.
“Agritourism has always been an alternative solution to severe economic depression in rural areas while facilitating quick recovery of local economies. Over the past decades, agritourism has spread rapidly worldwide with the growing interest of tourists in learning about rural life and the farmers’ needs to increase their income with various economic activities.
“It implies diversifying business activities on the farm, primarily through agritourism, which increases the farm’s income and helps to reduce the financial problems. However, the economic importance and consequently the cultural and social consequences of agritourism in rural areas have not been well explored in developing economies, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, “Amb. Udoh reiterated.
The tourism and hospitality expert further explained that: “As a sustainable development strategy for rural communities, agritourism has recently been in the foreground for policy-makers, researchers, and governments.
“The advantages of agritourism include the potential for surplus income, fewer needs for funding in investment, making use of the existing assets, and minimal impact on the environment and recognized heritage.
“Agritourism activities are various, consisting of any tourism-oriented action taken on farms that are directly related to the agricultural environment, crops, and farm stays,” the tourism expert reiterated.
Governor Umo Bassey Eno, during the September edition of his monthly Covenant Service held Friday at Government House, Uyo, had tasked local government chairmen in the state to donate between 50 to 100 hectares of land for the development of agribusinesses as part of measures to encourage the people of the state return to the farm in line with his A.R.I.S.E development agenda as panacea for rescuing the people from growing hardship posed by fuel subsidy removal.
“Times are hard, but the question is how long will we continue on palliatives? How can we help ourselves? We have green land everywhere and good weather. Let’s go back to agriculture. This is not a communist country where you wake up and there’s milk in front of your house.
“Agric business is serious business. Our young people have to get involved. That is what will help us. All these interventions can not really help us for too long. If you collect rice today, you’ll finish it. Will you keep coming back and wait on government for another? Truth be told, we can not continue like that,” the governor said.
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