Nigeria hosts Africa Travel Association’s Fourth Ecotourism Sysmpsium

The Federal Republic of Nigeria will host The Africa Travel Association’s

(ATA) Fourth Ecotourism Symposium; December 3-8, 2000 in Abuja, Nigeria’s

new Capital. The announcement of this first-ever-official ATA meeting to

be held in Nigeria was made jointly by Honorable Alabo Graham-Douglas,

Nigeria new Minister of Culture and Tourism, The Nigerian Tourism Development

Corporation in Abuja; ATA’s Executive Director, Mira Berman, and the ATA

Nigeria Chapter President Mrs. A.O. Bode-Thomas.

Nigerian Airways, expected to relaunch its transatlantic service this

fall will be the official carrier, and the Symposium headquarter hotel

will be Abuja’s Nicon Noga Hilton.

The Honorable Michael Afedi Gizo, M.P., Minister for Tourism of Ghana,

and Chairman/President of the Africa Travel association, together with

the Nigerian Minister of Culture and Tourism, will preside over this momentous

event. Josephine C. Macaulay, Travel Consultant, Morningside Travel Center,

will chair the Ecotourism Symposium whose theme is: "Preservation: Land

– Culture _ Wildlife"

Mrs. Bode-Thomas and Ms. Macaulay further announced that Host Country

Day will take place in Jos, a city fascinating for its rich culture and

traditions, only a day’s excursion for Abuja. The Jos Plateau and the surrounding

areas feature some of the most arresting natural attractions in Nigeria

including mountains as high as 1,829 meters above sea level; the Jos Wildlife

Park; The Jos Museum and Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture, highlighting

the country’s greatest monument replicas such as the Kano Walls, the Kasina

Palace, the Place of Oba of Benin; the Riyom Rock Formation, one of the

largest collections of nature’s sculptures anywhere in the world; and Assop

Falls.

All travel agents, tour operators, special interest groups, environmentalists

and internet travel suppliers are invited to participate.

The Africa Travel Association (ATA) is an international, nonprofit,

nonpolitical, travel industry association established in 1975 to promote

tourism to the continent of Africa. Its membership includes African Government

Tourism Offices, international airlines, hoteliers, cruise lines, tour

operators, travel agents, tourism educators and public relations/marketing

firms. ATA is a member of American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA); World

Tourism Organization (WTO); and an industry partner in the "Green Globe"

program.

For more information about ATA membership and Ecotourism Symposium Registration

please contact: Debrah Nairm, ATA Headquarters, 347 Fifth Avenue, Suite

610, New York, NY 10016; Tel: (212) 725-8253. Email: africatravelasso@aol.com.

Website: www.africa-ata.org.