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Governor Mimiko said Ondo State would enhance its tourism potentials

The Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has said that administration will continue to promote culture and tourism in order to raise more revenue for the state.
The governor also disclosed that mountain climbing would be repositioned to be a competitive event in secondary schools across the State.

Mr. Mimiko stated this while declaring open the 2012 edition of the annual MARE Festival, in Idanre Local Government Area of the State.
MARE 2012, which is the 4th edition of the annual festival, started in 2009 on Mimiko’s assumption of office as Governor, and it has attracted both national and international patronage.

Governor Mimiko, who described culture and tourism as a credible avenue to generate quality engagement for the youth, said that mountain climbing would be properly managed to bring out acceptable skills and sustain students’ interest in the event.
“MARE will be a veritable avenue to qualitatively engage our youths and we will continue to invest in it and all other genres of tourist activities to ensure that Ondo State becomes a preferred tourism destination in Nigeria,” he said.

The governor, however, stated that the culture and tourism sector of the state has continued to enjoy government’s priority due to its sensitivity towards promoting the rich cultural values of the people and attracting investment to the state.

The Festival, he said, is not all about mountain climbing but to promote the rich cultural heritage of the people of the state.
The event which will come to a close on Saturday will be attended by 50 mountain climbers from different countries including South Africa and Spain.