BY JIMOH BABATUNDE
OPINION
MANY tourist destinations in the world had ridden on the back of marketing slogans to attract tourists. The "Incredible India," the marketing slogan, that attracted tourists to India from around the globe, also reportedly posted incredible results for its marketers.
Other countries outside India that had used strong slogans to attract tourists are Malaysia's 'Truly Asia'; Zambia - the real Africa'; 'Egypt - where history began and continues' and 'Cuba - peaceful, safe and healthy tourism' among others.
Nigeria will soon join these other countries with the plan by the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Edem Duke, and his team to launch a slogan for the country, 'Fascinating Nigeria'.
The Minister said the country deserves to have a distinctive tourism brand identity which can be used to market the country's attractions.
Speaking with journalists recently, Edem disclosed that they had been working on the slogan for the better part of one year, before it was approved January this year by the Federal Executive Council.
"As I speak to you, it has been resolved that in the first week of July this year, the slogan will officially be launched in Abuja.
"If you don't have an identity nobody will recognize what you are doing. It is like winking in the dark. I am sure in the coming weeks we will see a better manifestation of this initiative."
As Nigerians await the launch of the 'Fascinating Nigeria brand', stakeholders in the industry have expressed happiness on what the tourism industry stands to gain.
Speaking with this reporter, Blessing Usen, a tour operator disclosed that when India launched the "Incredible India," slogan that the country's tourism grew by 6.9 percent to almost $42 billion in 2010 despite a global recession then.
She said the World Travel and Tourism Council in its reports then noted that despite a global recession, Indian tourism grew . 'Tourists to India spend almost twice as much as the average international tourist.
Infrastructure development
Usen is of the hope that Nigeria will benefit from the introduction of the slogan as she sees opportunities for the country's tourism in three ways- employment, foreign currency and infrastructure development.
The tour operator added that the Ministry should come up with media plans and other items that will be used to sell the country to foreign tourists, "the goal of a slogan is to encapsulate a destination's sense of place. If it does its job, it will be stored in consumers' working memory.
Earlier, Edem Duke in his chat with journalists had said that the social media will begin preliminary exposure of that brand and in pursuant of that they have been developing some collateral that will support the brand.
The Minister said there is no bookshop anywhere in the world that there is a respectable collateral about Nigeria, "there is no mission of Nigeria that you go to anywhere in the world that you find materials that speak of the various endowments of this country.
"I think that Nigeria deserves more as the biggest black nation on the face of the earth as the source market for the tourism revenue of other countries."
The Ministry, according to him, has produced promotional materials that will be used to sell the country as a fascinating destination.
Another tour operator with Peacock Travels, Patra Ada, said Nigeria caters to several market types. While saying that historically, the cultural tourist vacation market attracted the most foreign visitors, but marketers now target the business travel market as well, enticing them to schedule conventions and business meetings in conjunction with cultural activities. She said additional markets include adventure and eco-tourism, as well as the pilgrimage market, which is a major source of Nigerian domestic tourism.
Most of the churches in Nigeria, according to her, attract pilgrims from all over the world, so the country stands to gain if the Fascinating Nigeria is supported as the country's tourism will benefit from jobs in hotels, transport, attractions and tour companies. Other indirect benefits, according to her, are in areas such as restaurants and retail shops.
Petra explained that branding should underpin all marketing planning and the purpose of all marketing communication should be to enhance brand equity in the minds of the target audience.
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