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Chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Samuel Numonengi, has called for synergy between performing artistes and tourism professionals as a way of exploring the value of music tourism in the state, describing music as a primary driver of tourism.
Mr Numonengi who stated this when board members of Bayelsa Musical Artistes Awards (BMAA) paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Azikoro Road Yenagoa on Tuesday, noted that: “The music industry grew at 8%, twice the rate of the world economy in 2018, as tourist arrivals increased by 7%, same year.”
He maintained that music brings several other opportunities with it to enhance destination offerings, in terms of developing musical tourism products, to boost the tourism branding, adding that partnership between music and tourism will certainly increase economic value on both sides.
The NUJ chairman said the role of music in travel marketing, including conferences and experiential travel, ranging from hosting music festivals and heritage music events, to use of music videos to promote and share local cultures and experiences, remain strong tourism promotional tools for destinations.
Also speaking, chairman of Travel Writers’ Corps of Nigeria Union of Journalists in the state, Mr. Piriye Kiyaramo, who commended the management team of Bayelsa Musical Artistes Awards for promoting music tourism, the act of visiting a city or town, to see or witness a music festival or other music performances, constitutes music tourism which is of particular importance to both small and large cities.
According to the travel journalist, music festivals have the capacity to draw many tourists to a city, pointing out that music has been one of the great ways of promoting tourism across the globe, even as music has helped in displaying the beauty and elegance of cities at their best.
He noted that “music teaches us about language. Some of the first communication we give and receive in life is through music. Music provides an entertaining form of repetition that is so conducive to memory as a key part of growing our cultural identity,
Mr Kiyaramo reiterated that it was overdue for stakeholders to come together to properly reposition the Bayelsa musical cultural heritage, adding that music has always been a veritable tool to enhance the offerings of Bayelsa State, being an emerging tourism hub in the South South region.
Earlier, chairman, board of directors of Bayelsa Musical Artistes Awards (BMAA), Mr. Stanley Imgbi, said this year’s event promises to be an extraordinary cultural experience for Bayelsa, which he said will play the role of driving awareness, cross culture education with a view to profiling Bayelsan’s rich leisure tourism offerings on the international stage.
Mr Imgbi disclosed that: “music is one of the greatest motivations for tourism. Whether live or recorded, experiencing music implies celebrating its rich diversity and talent, promoting intercultural dialogue and encouraging cultural exchange,” he said.
On her part, BMAA manager, Miss Bina Jokori, said the iconic musical tourism awards event, planned to showcase the ultimate of Ijaw culture, music, and creativity, is to be held in the last quarter of the year, adding that the awards will spur upcoming artistes to develop their musical talents.
Miss Jokori enumerated the objectives of the awards event to include: inculcating greatness among youth through the force of music, identify and profile upcoming musical artistes, with a view to sparking cultural sustainability and to evaluate Bayelsa musical artistes.
Proprietor of the awards, Walter Wisdom Baraladei, said Bayelsa Musical Artistes Awards is an annual event designed to lift the spirit and aspirations of gifted and creative individuals who have distinguished themselves in their chosen musical careers/profession with a vision of inspiring artistes to uphold the principles of originality, creativity and style in their craft.
Also contributing, secretary of BMAA board of trustees, Miss Farida Ebitimi Emerson, who stressed the commercial worth of indigenous musicians, however lamented the absence of proper packaging recognition for local artistes, calling on both public and private sectors to invest in the upcoming musical artistes in the state through the BMAA platform.
