AFEN partners with Plateau Smart Tourism to digitize tourism in Plateau state

AFEN Blockchain has commenced digitization of tourism in Nigeria's "home of peace and tourism".

In its efforts to explore the metaverse through smart tourism, AFEN has announced a partnership with the Plateau Smart Tourism to digitize tourism in Plateau state.

AFEN blockchain is a leading Nigerian blockchain startup that is building Africa's largest NFT ecosystem to revolutionize sectors like arts, education and real estate.

Endorsed by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) as a tourism promotion enterprise and the Plateau State Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (PICTDA), the blockchain startup is exploring ways in which it can improve, sustain, and maintain tourism in the state.

"We intend to explore creative NFTs from the most valuable tourism sites in Plateau state, and then create a virtual experience of these destinations using the NFTs as a gateway," Ephraim Freezle, co-convener, Plateau Smart Tourism told Benjamindada.com. He added that "with the partnership, we will leverage AFEN's existing marketplace to sell the NFTs."

In 2019, the Plateau state government signed a tourism policy with the thrust to "develop a sustainable tourism that capitalizes on the state's areas of comparative advantages including: pleasant weather, scenic beauty and cultural heritage to promote domestic and international tourism."

Related: Exciting trends in the world of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

How does NFTs power tourism?

NFTs are non-fungible tokens which are a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a digital ledger called the blockchain which is a digital database underpinning cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

They are unique and not mutually interchangeable, which implies that two NFTs cannot co-exist. "However, duplicated tokens can be owned by multiple persons but the value will differ," Freezle stated.

NFTs are typically used to buy and sell digital artwork and can take the form of GIFs, tweets, virtual trading cards, images of physical objects, video game skins, virtual real estate and more.

NFTs are usually bought with cryptocurrencies or in dollars and the blockchain keeps a record of transactions. While anyone can view the NFT, only the buyer has the status of being the official owner – a kind of digital bragging right that many have keyed into. In the tourism sector, physical tourist sites will be tokenized.

Featured Image: Rock formation in Riyom LG, Plateau state. Courtesy of WeJosRock.