The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Oyo State, has been honoured for his support and for pioneering Nigeria’s first Virtual Reality-powered National Domestic Tourism Club, following the state government’s scholarship award to the first 76 beneficiaries in Ibadan who registered for the programme.
The award was presented at the sideline of 2026 World Tourism Day celebration in Ibadan by the Managing Director and Convener of the *Business of Domestic Tourism Promotion and Empowerment Project, Mr. Ibitoye Araoye, who said the gesture was to appreciate the Commissioner for his backing, for facilitating the scholarships, and for ensuring the successful kick-off of the project in Oyo State as the pioneer state.
Mr. Araoye disclosed that the project, which is powered by Capricorn Concierge Tourism Services Ltd in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, has already commenced in Oyo State, with 76 beneficiaries currently undergoing training.
Also some of the beneficiaries were there to thank the Commissioner for the opportunity given to them, “Araoye added.
Commending the partnership between the Federal Government and the private sector, Araoye called for sustained support from all levels of government to ensure the national success of the initiative.
“I want to appreciate the Federal Government for collaborating with the private sector on this project and I advise that all necessary support should be given to ensure that the project is successful,” he said.
He explained that the Nigeria Domestic Tourism Club is the grassroots component of the broader Business of Domestic Tourism Promotion and Empowerment Project, designed to be established in all schools across the country.
“The Nigeria Domestic Tourism Club is part of the concept of the Business of Domestic Tourism Promotion and Empowerment project. The club is to be established in all the schools across the country which would make the project to partner with each state in order to engage and empower the indigenes and residents,” Araoye stated.
According to him, the club is currently the only national tourism club in Nigeria being powered by Virtual Reality technology, a deliberate strategy to expose children to the country’s vast tourism assets in an immersive and engaging format.
“The club is still the only national tourism club that is being powered by virtual reality technology and we want to use the process to start exposing Nigerian destinations and attractions to the children,” he said.
Araoye added that the initiative adopts an inclusive promotion model, where pupils who experience destinations through the club are encouraged to share their tour experiences with their parents at home, thereby stimulating family interest in visiting lesser-known attractions beyond the popular ones.
“There is also the idea to make the children engage their parents with their wonderful tour experiences to a destination and attractions different from the knowns when they get home as part of an inclusive promotion,” he noted.
Industry stakeholders say the Oyo State pilot could set the template for a nationwide rollout, with the potential to become Nigeria’s most far-reaching domestic tourism education and empowerment programme.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Oyo State, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, has thanked the convener of the National Domestic Tourism Club for honouring him as the pioneer recipient of its Domestic Tourism Award.
Dr. Olatunbosun commended the domestic tourism promoter, Mr. Ibitoye Araoye, for his unrelenting efforts and support in making the Virtual Reality-powered domestic tourism initiative a reality in Oyo State.
He also expressed profound gratitude to the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, describing him as not only a listening leader but as one who has created the enabling atmosphere to make tourism a mainstay of the economic revolution in the state.
The Commissioner gave kudos to members of staff of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and private sector stakeholders whose collective support, he said, has sustained the state’s tourism drive.
Dr. Olatunbosun, however, dedicated the maiden award to the glory of God, to Governor Seyi Makinde, and to the private sector partners whose collaboration continues to reposition tourism in Oyo State.
