We'll Make Ondo a Preferred Tourists Destination - Gov Mimiko

 We'll Make Ondo a Preferred Tourists Destination - Gov Mimiko

As the year 2012 annual Mare Festival kicked off yesterday, Ondo state governor Dr Olusegun Mimiko reaffirmed his commitment to make the state the best tourist destination in the world

 Gov Mimiko who disclosed this in his speech while declaring the festival open  in Idanre  also assured that  his administration will  continue to invest in other general tourist activities  that Ondo state eventually becomes  a preferred tourism destination in Nigeria.

Speaking on Mare Festival, Gov Mimiko maintained that  “Mare is about celebration of our unique geography in Idanre, Mare is a celebration of excellence, bearing courage  and the can do mind set of a typical Ondo person and we will continue to celebrate Mare as a major annual event in Ondo state”

 Adding that, for us culture and tourism is one of the very credible avenue to generate engagement for our youth, apart from the fact that on a day like this a lot of resources  will get to idanre but in the year ahead we have no doubt in our mind that Mare will be a veritable avenue to  qualitatively engaging our youth and we will continue to invest in it”.

 In an interaction with the commissioner for information  Mr Kayode Akinmade, he  explained that the intention is to brand Ondo state with Mare festival as a state festival which will be mother of all festival in the state. “  Mare is not just about the fun and other things therein, it is specifically   to brand Ondo state  and  make it a  festival that will be acknowledge  by  the world  at large and i am sure  that will happen before the next 2 years.

 Also the state commissioner for culture and Tourism Barrister Deji Falae said Mare festival is an initiatives of Dr Olusegun Mimiko administration as a state festival that will bring the diverse culture of Ondo together.

According to him “  Mare is not all  about celebrating Idanre Hills alone there are a lot of things there in  where people from all over the continent  are participating in  and  this is also a festival of unity as  as you can see we have troupe from all  local government in the state and at the  same time invite other state  to participate in the cultural dance and exhibition.

He said further that the ongoing standard golf course and other activities that will complement the Mare festivals will be commissioned by March 2013 and assured that the festival  will soon takes its rightful place  in the world  in less than five  years time.