By Priscilla Osaje, NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, Director -General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), said the annual gastronomy festival has opened vistas on tourism and hospitality personnel capacity development.
Gastronomy is the practice or art of choosing, cooking, and eating good food.
Kangiwa disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, more operators in Nigeria are increasingly improving their skills in arts, craft and science of gastronomy, by improving domestic and inbound Nigeria tourist’s experiences.
He said that NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival has awakened tourism operators, and administrators in Nigeria, both in the public and private sectors, on the comparative advantages of food tourism in the country.
” The festival has been added to Nigeria’s ‘Tourism Calendar’, Nigerian tourism destination managers are coming with marketing communications, that positioned Nigeria as a leading food tourism destination in Africa.
“NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival is today one of the leading tourist products in Nigeria. As such, non-Abuja residents and tourists make travel arrangements in advance to attend the food festival in Abuja,” he said.
Kangiwa said that Nigerians had been requested for the food festival to be improved annually, interms of diversity of Nigerian cuisines on display from every state in Nigeria.
He said that in their opinions, increasing the number of participating countries would also help to improve the food festival annually.
“Previously, European and African countries actively showcase their national foods and beverages, as well as Nigerian chefs who also put up good appearances.
” In this year`s festival, there will be more arrays of foods and beverages exhibitors more than the previous editions.
“We will also be introducing a lot of innovation including live cooking competition at the food exhibition among culinary schools in Nigeria, where winners will be rewarded with foreign trainings among other things.
“Visitors experience in this year’s Gastronomy Festival will be unparalleled in Nigeria’s tourism,” he said.(NAN)