The recently signed concession agreement with the investment arm of the Ekiti State Government, Fountain Holdings Limited (FHL), and Irin Ajo, a tourism and hospitality company in Nigeria, over the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort for 15 years is a major milestone towards tourism and hospitality development in Ekiti State.
This concession is a stepping stone for sustainable tourism development in Nigeria and we are happy to see that investors are committed to investing in Nigeria.
At the concession signing ceremony were the GMD/CEO, FHL, Oska Seyi Aiyeleso, GM Business Development, FHL, Mr. Kunle Oladele, and the Group Accountant, FHL, Mr. Femi Ayeni to seal this contract.
While concession presents opportunities for tourism and hospitality development for Ekiti States assets, Ikogsi, it is important to ensure that the project fits in with the overall tourism system within Ekiti State to ensure successful tourism development and delivery.
Here are 3 key points to be considered;
1. Resort re-design should be in line with the proposed target market
Ikogosi warm springs and resort is currently in a pretty bad shape. Reviving this tourism asset will need concerted work to ensure that the revamped resort is modern, timeless and well-designed.
The various tangible and intangible elements of a destination will need to be considered, and a focus on how to provide a coherent theme throughout the resort that points to the cultural heritage of the Ekiti people.
This is an opportunity to incorporate local artisanry into the design of the space and use it to tell the story of the Ekiti people, their history, their exploits and the vision for the state. This will need to be done in an intelligent, yet simple way.
The redevelopment of the resort can also provide a platform for arts and crafts within the state to be showcased in an interesting way, together with a robust tourism calendar and programme of various things to do, that will cater for the target market for the resort.
Importantly, these will need to be done in phases, and adopting the right strategy, for this redevelopment, will be one pivotal factor in its success.
2. There should be a strong sense of security
Ask an average person about tourism in Nigeria and you will be told that tourism cannot work in Nigeria because of insecurity.
The fact is many destinations around the world have to cope with crime, and the focus is on how to manage the perception of the destination, whilst putting measures in place to ensure the safety and security of visitors to the destination.
The southwestern region of Nigeria has battled with insecurity in recent times; in January 2021 Ekiti State set aside a 1.4 billion Naira budget for Amotekun, the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) responsible for curbing insecurity in the region, as this may be a positive outlook for the state’s safety.
This is an important step to ensure measures are in place to provide and communicate a sense of safety and security to visitors to the state. The redevelopers of Ikogosi should ensure these safety and security measures are communicated in an appropriate manner to visitors.
3. The synergy between the other tourist attractions.
A good level of synergy is vital between all the tourist attractions within the state. Creating linkages between these attractions provides a means for more tourism revenue across the various destinations in Ekiti as it creates a sense of clustering, and therefore a full experience for visitors and tourists. How is information provided to visitors in Ekiti, Are the hotels aware of the destination and its redevelopment plans? Are other tourism assets available close to the attractions? What is the quality of accommodation provided in Ikogosi, outside of the resort? This is the time to work with other investors in the state, to identify synergistic opportunities and create tourism clusters so that visitors have a range of activities to do for 3-5-7 days.
Red Clay Advisory is committed to driving sustainable growth of tourism in West Africa. For more information on strategy planning, destination development, and advisory services, please send an email to tourism@redclayadvisory.com.