How Nigeria Celebrated 2024 World Tourism Day

By Justina Okpanku

Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark World Tourism Day (WTD) in Lagos on Friday. September 27 is a day set aside by the United Nations Agency (UNWTO) to celebrate tourism.

Tourism is regarded as the No. 1 employer of labour, employing skilled and unskilled labour. Apart from being a tool in reducing poverty, tourism also fosters unity among communities.

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The World Tourism Day has been celebrated since 1980 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the World Tourism Organization on 27 September 1970.

The special day is an opportunity to think about tourism and urge people to embrace tourism with its huge benefits. Activities such as walks, adventures, and seminars are held to reflect on challenges of the tourism industry and to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable tourism practices.

It’s not clear what the Federal Ministry of Tourism was doing in the nation’s capital, Abuja, but there were pockets of gathering of tourism stakeholders doing their thing at individual/ company level.

Lagos State government was able to raise the bar with its partners in the private sector, though. Businesses opened and showcased their products and services at Muri Okunola Park grounds while other participants talked tourism inside.

There is no gainsaying that this year’s World Tourism Day left much to be desired as tourism operators looked back with nolstagia.

President, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung expressed his concern over the current lack of synergy between public and private sector operators under the current administration.

Onung, whose association is the apex private sector tourism body, pointing out that apart from the occasional appearances of the Minister of Tourism, Ms Lola Ade-John at select events, “little progress has been made.”

“This is not the tourism industry we envisioned when the ministry was established, and it is disheartening to see the aspirations of many go unaddressed,” he noted.

With the creation of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation by the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration in 1999, the first Minister of Tourism, Chief Ojo Maduekwe (late) and the Permanent Secretary, David Oyegun, pulled all the strings to give the nation a grand celebration in Calabar, Cross-River state September 27, 1999.

This became part of the tradition as visitors use the chance to visit local attractions, historical sites, and natural wonders that showcase the unique cultures and heritage of the host states. Tourism awareness was raised across the states and at the grassroots level. Indeed, it brought with it economic development, fostered national unity and understanding among citizens.

At present, there is no information from the Ministry of Tourism prior to the ‘D’ Day. Mum was the word from Ade-John as to the hosting rights of WTD by city or state.
Indeed, lack of coordination by the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies, especially the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), was a clog in the wheel of progress in the tourism industry here.

FTAN had organised a virtual meeting for the tourism press to mark the Tourism Day. President Onung harped on the need to improve upon public/ private sector partnership. It is understood that the organised Nigerian Tour Operators, NATOP, had planned to visit Akwa Ibom State to celebrate the WTD with the Akwa Ibom State government Expectedly, a state hosting the entire Nigeria Tourism usually uses the opportunity to showcase the tourism offerings that abound in their state. It is important that Nigeria stands to gain from the tourism industry if handled well.

For this year’s celebration, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has chosen “Tourism and Peace” as the theme with Georgia hosting. The United Nations agency in Spain which which Nigeria is a member UNWTO, stated that World Tourism Day 2024 aims to explore the intersection of tourism and peace building, highlighting how travel, cultural exchange and sustainable tourism practices can contribute to conflict resolution, reconciliation, and the promotion of peace worldwide.

They said that by bringing together stakeholders from across sectors and disciplines, the celebration aims to
generate innovative ideas, strategies, and collaborations to harness the transformative power of tourism in building bridges, fostering dialogue, and promoting peace and reconciliation. Lagos State and it’s partners including Eleganza Group and Sterling Bank, ran with the WTD message of peace.

They provided the platform for stakeholders who took part in the various activities making merry.

The event was suffused with music and dance. A leading artist who refused to give his name thanked Lagos State for their efforts but he regretted that the event is characterised by bureaucracy. “Did you see any artwork or anybody from the artist constituency? They didn’t think of art. What are tourists coming to see in Lagos? Where are the tourist products? Well, the event was dominated by traditional rulers and government officials.”

Another tourism stakeholder, Bola Alake, blamed the Ministry of Tourism for its inability to give direction.

“The Federal Ministry of Tourism ought to have reached out to the various states and partner with the governments, especially on the WTD. People were looking forward to the one and only tourism celebration in a year. Nothing happened. We only read about what other countries around the world did to mark the Tourism Week, adding:” We are facing security challenges militating against the tourism industry, and we also do not have patrons in our restaurants and hotels. People don’t have money. And I ask you, are we really marking the World Tourism Day in Nigeria? Where’s the tourist infrastructure? The roads are bad, and airfares are not even affordable. Domestic tourism is adversely affected.

Generally, some stakeholders said the Ministry of Tourism failing to put together an event to involve people across the states is not too tidy, taking into consideration the theme this year’s celebration.

Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lagos State, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, however, called on tourism practitioners to promote peace and unity in the country.