Tourism gives one the opportunity to experience great fun and see a lot of interesting places.
During a tour, one gets to see a new place, its cultures, treasures and big sites, tastes the cuisines and blend with the indigenous people and other residents.
There are various reasons people embark on tours; it could be for enjoyment and relaxation or to learn new things.
According to Miriam Beard, “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights. It is a change that goes on deep and permanent in the ideas of living.”
When it comes to tourist destinations, many people are very much intentional about it as they would want the moments to be worthwhile.
Edo State is one of the states that are blessed with a lot of tourist attractions in Nigeria. Generally, nature has endowed Edo with great cultures rich in arts, that are incredibly attractive and which make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
It is the home and cradle of arts, culture as well as traditions. The state is popular for its splendour, excellence and creative people. The numerous tourist destinations in the state depict outstanding beauty and historical significance that amuse and awe its visitors.
There are several tourist attractions in the state; each with their own uniqueness and historical background.
These include the Palace of the Oba of Benin, which is notable as the home of the Oba; the Benin City National Museum, a home to priceless Benin arts and historical antiques from around the country; Ososo Tourist Site located on the rocks of Ososo in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state which presents beautiful scenery for nature lovers and rock climbers; Igun Street which is the centre of Benin’s best art and craft makers where bronze casting is done.
Others are Okomu National Park; the Great Benin Moat; Emotan Statue, Ogba Zoo, Duke of Udo, First Storey Building in Edo, among others. Tourists need not to worry as all they need to do is to come with a camera to take beautiful pictures, as they certainly would be having a swell time.
Basically, there is a lot to explore in Edo and the hospitality is top notch. The various ethnic groups that make up the population: Edo, Esan, Owan, Afemai, Yoruba, Ijaws, Urhobos, Itsekiris and several other tribes all live harmoniously together.
They extend the same hospitality to visitors from far and near. There is a kind of open and expansive warm feeling that is naturally exhibited on the streets, in the markets and business places, social gatherings and their homes.
Edo is blessed with great delicacies which would certainly leave one asking for more. Trust me! No one would like to miss out on the Black soup, Leaf rice (called Izoko in Edo language), Benin Owo soup, Groundnut soup (called Omisagwe in Esan), Corn soup (Omi Ukpokpa in Esan), among others.
When it comes to security, residents and visitors have no reason to worry as Governor Obaseki is committed to protecting every resident of the state.
He is very much passionate about this as he has consistently provided security equipment for security agencies and motivated them to provide adequate security for the people.
He has been very proactive in his collaborations with the army, the police, local vigilantes and other security agencies, and he is committed to the deployment of crime-fighting technology to boost security in the state.
Similarly, the Light Up Edo Project, an ongoing project across the state, would help tourists, visitors and residents navigate smoothly at night and access various destinations.
There are many tourist attractions in Nigeria, no doubt, but Edo State remains one of the best. Going down memory lane, one would recall that Benin City, the state capital, has a history of being one of the foremost destinations for the Europeans during their exploration of the African continent centuries ago.
This is an attestation that Edo stands out when it comes to tourist attractions. A visit to Edo would be life changing, as these tourist attractions in a beautiful, serene and safe environment would make one certainly have an awesome experience.
By Wisdom Agbonta
