MR TOURISM........ A Tribute

THE TOURISM VOICE OF NIGERIA- "Mr Tourism"
 Considering the enormous resources we are blessed with, both natural and human resources couple with our diverse cultures and tourism potentials I bet there are people who have distinguished themselves in the tourism industry in Nigeria to see that we stand out among the Nations in this sector crying for attention, one of such personality is ! Mr Tourism himself. The Late Matts Cosmez Ebaboje Da'Silva. Da' Silva's romance with tourism started on November 28th 1969, when he was appointed the public relations officer of the defunct Nigerian Tourism Association (NTA), The organized private sector tourism body in the country. He was place with the responsibility of advertising, issuing of press releases, collection of materials for write up, publications of brochures. Having caught the tourism bud he never lookwd back as everything he did was seen from the prism of tourism. He is like the Biblical voice carrying in the wilderness, Having worked for some years with the association for some time he resign to further his studies at the International Centre for Advance Tourism Studies. Turin in Italy. He also studied for his Advance Diploma in Top Tourism Management in the same institution. He returned to Nigeria and started his own Travel agency call Da Silva Tourism Services Ltd. He was able to bring in tourist into the country because of his strong advocacy for tourism, once he shared an experience with a dear friend, as a tour guide to a tourist who came to see the Great Walls of Kano, fantastic tourism site with rich history. They arrived Kano State from Lagos, it was the period where you see a lot of lizards on the wall, intrestingly, the visitor was not only fasinated by the wall but also by the hundreds of lizards on the wall, he has never seen such a site before, it was amazing, he took pictures of lizards on the ancient walls, indeed tourism enriches.
Just before they were through, the visitor ask if Mr Da Silva could get him a male and female specimen of the lizards to take back home, Mr Tourism as he is fondly called didn't even know the difference between the male or female species, although he took permission from the Ministry of tourism representative who granted him permission to take them interestingly, the tourist offered him dollars to capture the creatures, of course he got the assistance of the Malgaries who were around to do so and paid for their service. Next the visitor offered him dollars for the feeding of the lizards for one year untill he returns to the country, guess what? Mr Tourism didn't have an idea what lizards eat, he had to get a book on lizards so as not to disappoint his client, they finally arranged with the locals to get sack of grinded millet and he told the visitor they also eat insects, Lizards for dollars! That can only be tourism, someone admires and is facinated by what you daily over look or complain about and they are willing to pay well for it. Because it's not as common as you think. Mr Da Silva, since has being part of every push to develop Nigeria's Tourism. He has served in different capacities both in the private and public sector. In 1979, through the help of the Federal government Da Silva became the first affiliated member of the World Tourism Organization. In 1980, Da Silva published his first magazine titledd "Discover Nigeria". (The heart of Africa Cultural heritage). Congratulating him on the book, Nigeria's former president Alhaji Shehu Shagari in a letter signed on March 11, 1981 has this to say; "An endeavour to lunch Discover Africa magazine is something to be welcomed, and possibly one of the best things that has ever happened in our great and lovely Country Nigeria. Your imagination and initiative must be commended by those of us who have the opportunity of traveling wide in Nigeria. On September 1st, 1983 Da Silva was appointed collaborator for Africa Region to the World Tourism Organization, he was nominated by the Federal government of Nigeria to contoest for post of the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization. In 1984. The first African to do so.
He was the first president of the National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), he later became the president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA). He was also at the forefront campaign for the teaching of tourism in Nigerian tertiary institutions. At one time he was in the accreditation team of the Nigerian Board For Technical Education in the area of Tourism studies. He was appointed to the board of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) by the first Minister of Culture and Tourism Chief Ojo Maduekwe. He was appointed as a member of the Committee for the Production of Nigerian Tourism Development Master Plan. Da Silva was among the distinguished Nigerians who were honoured by the then Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ambassador Franklin Ogbuewu with a National Tourism Award in recognition of the many laudable roles he had played towards the growth of the industry. He was a board member of the Lagos State Tourism board for many years and chairman of the Tourism Committee of new Alimosho local government. Da Silver believed so much in the vast tourism potentials of Nigeria and believed that if adequately harnessed, it will be an alternative source of revenue. He was an ardent tourism promoter, as a journalist for many years, he was a Columnist a th th he Vanguard Newspaper where his column 'Tourism Voice' talked on issues affecting the development of tourism in Nigeria. He also founded the Association of Nigerian Journalist and Writer of Travel and Tourism (ANJET). He was an eloquent speaker who always brought his wealth of experience and insight into national discussion on how to move the industry forward.
Let''s hear from you, who is your Mr or Miss Tourism?