NTDC launches “Tourism Hackathon” to create innovative solutions for Nigeria's Tourism industry
Posted by Ahmed Iyanda | 2 years ago | 798 times
In line with its goal of creating lasting solutions to real-life tourism challenges, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation(NTDC) has launched the "Tourism Hackathon Nigeria," a digital technological development to accelerate the industry's growth in the country.
Folorunsho Coker, Director General of NTDC while addressing journalists on Tuesday, said the Hackathon was meant to provide unique and innovative solutions to identified challenges and gaps across the tourism value chain in Nigeria.
He said, "some of the identified challenges burdening businesses within the ecosystem include: Proper Pricing, Safe Payment channels, Access to market, Customer service and retention, and Bookings and reservations.
According to him, the initiative is a collaborative effort of the private and public sectors. He said the private sector would bring intellectual capacity while the public provides the enabling resources that would help the idea to thrive.
Coker said, "We have come up with the hackathon to provide unique and innovative solutions to identify challenges and gaps across the tourism value chain in Nigeria. This will be done by using digital tools that will be developed at scale within the next 18 to 24 months."
"Our goal is to improve the country's ranking on the world economic forum competitiveness index by harnessing the growing popularity of digital technology to solve prevalent problems across the tourism value chain in Nigeria.
"We want to be able to imagine a future in which a tourist's journey experience is fully enhanced by the digitisation of all support activities," he said.
He emphasized that NTDC is poised to change the tourism landscape by harnessing the growing popularity of digital technology to solve prevalent problems across the tourism value chain in Nigeria.
“We want to be able to imagine a future in which a tourist’s journey experience is fully enhanced by the digitization of all support activities (from the pre-booking stages until the destination experience), with more digital interactions supported by data shared in a customized, secure and private way between the different players within the tourism ecosystem.
The NTDC Boss noted that efforts are necessary to upscale the tourism industry considering the enormous potential inherent in the industry.
Going by the theme for the 2022 World Tourism Day "Rethinking Tourism," Coker said there was an urgent need to reflect and rethink operations in the industry over the years.
"With over 147 million active internet subscriptions and a tele density of almost 97 percent we have a ready made and vast domestic market for tourism development locally, '' he added.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, Bycep, and one of the partners of the Hackathon Mr Ayoola Gbade-Bello explained the modalities, adding that the hackathon would be done during the forthcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation UNWTO Conference which is scheduled to hold in Lagos from 14th to 15th November, 2022.
" The primary aim of this Hackathon would be to engender solutions to numerous problems facing the tourism sector in Nigeria and how it can be easier to deploy technology to solve these problem," he said.
While the application is open to everyone in the tourism space from the six geo political zones of the country, he said registrants will be engaged to develop technological apps, such that it would aid tourism growth.
"Top best five individuals will be picked at the first stage while the overall winner will be rewarded with an all expense paid trip to Madrid. The winner will also have the privilege of representing Nigeria at the Uinted Nations World Tourism Organisation innovation challenge in 2023, he added.
