Tourism -Tourist Centers in Nigeria

The thrill and excitement in going to new places or literally old places with stories and history to it; beautiful sceneries, trying out cultures and attires, learning, etcetera; it could be an escape from the normal regular boring routine.

The idea of tourism is what makes Packing and unpacking not seem like stress but fun.

Tourism can be referred to as an activity of visiting different places for the purpose of having fun, relaxation, education, or any other purpose apart from work. Tourism is a way of taking a break from one`s usual activity and location and going sightseeing at a place of interest.

The main purpose of Tourism is sightseeing and this brings about numerous importance to the society, state, and to the individual. Some of which include:

• It serves as a means of relaxation from the stress of one’s natural environment and routine job.
• It helps us to have an understanding of other cultures and places.
• Tourism helps to connect people, foster togetherness, unity and love
• Tourism helps us to appreciate the natural beauty of nature, therefore improving our understanding of sustainable development in our environment. 
• Tourism generates revenue to the society ( the location of the tourist center)
• Tourism provides jobs for people. When going on expenditure, you will require a tourist guide, transport, restaurants and hostels to stay. This is business (food sellers, language interpreters, hostel manager just to mention a few) for the location of the tourist center.

Requirements for Tourists

• When visiting a place for the first time, it is necessary to know the weather conditions of that environment. This enables you to pack proper clothes for the environment. You must also have an idea of the terrain, so as to pack the proper foot-wears too.
• A mini first aid kit is also required. This you should have as a part of your safety equipment.
• As a Tourist, it is important you have a map of the place you intend to visit. Also, you could make arrangements for a tourist guide if affordable.
• When visiting a foreign place, you need to have their currency. Before traveling or on arrival, available money should be converted to the useable currency of that country.
• You need a camera and a comfortable bag. During tourism, you get to meet people, go to different places and have a fun time. All these wouldn’t remain ever-fresh in one’s mind; therefore you need a camera to capture these moments and any other eye-catching thing. Objects from these various places could be carried as souvenirs. These are kept in your bags.

Tourist Centers in Nigeria

• Bina footprint: this is located in Niger State, in a small village called Bina around the Muye area. It is the footprint of one of the locals, a man named Dabo. The footprint is found on a rock. It is said that on his way for prayers, he stepped on a rock with his left foot and the imprint has forever been there. He built a mosque there before he left the village.

• Lekki Conversation Centre: this is a 21-year-old national conservation center covering seventy-eight (78) hectares of land. It is located in Lagos State and is managed by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF). As TouristS going to the Lekki Conservation Centre, hotels and resort nearby for stay includes; the Pelican Hotel, Mayhill Hostel, Oakwood Park, Havilah suites, Whispering palm resort, and Virginrose resort. A Centre is a place of moderate temperature with a mangrove forest terrain. Some fun activities that could be done by tourists include; canopy walking, animal watching, floorboard game, picnic, and festive celebration like carnivals.

• Kanguru Castle: this is located in Kaduna. It is over 30 years old. It was built in a Romanesque style by Germans who once lived there in Nigeria. The Castle is on mountain terrain and lies in a tropic climate. It has an armory, a knight hall, turrets, a sauna, and a dungeon. The castle can contain a total of 150 people.

• Tinapa Business Resort:  this is a business and leisure resort located in Calabar by the Calabar River. It has a mini-amphitheater, an arcade, for children, an eight-screen cinema, nightclub, and pub and restaurants. The business resort is close to the Calabar free trade zone; therefore it has top-notch facilities for wholesale and retail trading. It also has an area for open exhibitions. It has a movie studio, the Tinapa studio commonly rented out for movie production. The Tinapa lakeside hostel that could be accommodated by visiting tourists is an international 3- star resort having 243 rooms.

• Ibeno Beach: is located in Akwa Ibom State and is found along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the longest sand beach in Africa as it stretches for 45km and has an area of 1200sqaure-km. The beauty of the beach is gotten from it white sand, attractive coastline, coconut trees, the effect of the view from the gulf of guinea, seagulls jumping in the water, a relic of the missionary expeditions, and its hostel. It has a temperate weather condition. Fun activities that could be done include sunbathing, swimming, canoeing, photography, boat-riding, water sport, volleyball, and people-watching.

Other beautiful places for Tourism in Nigeria include Osun Osogbo Grove, Obudu ranch, Ngwo Pine forest, Awhum waterfall, Oban hill, Oke-Idanre Hill, Olumo rock, Zuma rock, Aso rock, Yankari game reserve, Nike art gallery, Agodi garden, and New Afrika Shrine.