Lagos State Government, speaking through Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, on Thursday 1st March gazetted Akwaaba African Travel market as one of The official Tourism events in Lagos.
The statement is a positive move in the right direction as the State reiterated its commitment to tourism and culture promotion throughout the year.
Akwaaba African Travel Market was among the list, but the only tourism fair, among over 70 Tourism, Arts and Culture events which Lagos State would be partnering with in the government’s renewed effort to position tourism and culture as integral part of the government’s drive towards development and creation of jobs for the State.
Mr. Steve Ayorinde, explained that, “This initiative is in fulfilment of the state government’s promise to announce a yearly calendar of events to guide programming, tourists and visitors’ decisions,”
According to Ayorinde, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, started the year with his attendance at Ali Baba’s January 1 comedy concertat The Eko Hotel and Suites.
“The administration of Governor Ambode believes that the quantum of cash transactions across the tourism and entertainment value-chain, as tracked in December 2017 when about N50bn was spent on entertainment and leisure alone, is a testimony to the huge economic gain that exists in promoting tourism in Lagos State.
“This and other economic factors make Lagos (of the most vibrant and culturally significant cities in Africa with the potential to make enormous impact in driving in-bound tourism from across the globe,” Ayorinde said.
Akwaaba African Travel Market (AFTM) is an annual international travel event organized by Akwaaba Travel Market Limited and founded by Ikechi Uko.
It is the only international travel fair in West Africa; it’s a face to face marketing platform for travel and tourism organisations, corporations, States and countries with passion to promote their assets; and a meeting place for travel and tourism investors to network.
It’s held every year inLagos, Nigeria. Because of the large turnout of participation, drawing attendance from so many countries; numerous airlines, both domestic and foreign; and leading Africa hotel chains, it is referred to as ‘‘Where Africa meets the world’’.
Participants include African countries, airlines, hotels, resorts, tourism boards, national parks, transport companies, destination marketers, travel and tour operators with exhibitors depicting their uniqueness during the event.
Workshops and lectures by experts; Africa Travel Awards; business networking; live entertainment with cultural display across different countries; wine tasting; culinary events; opportunities to win free airline tickets and free tickets to stay at exotic hotels in Africa and in any part of the world are features of Akwaaba African Travel Market.
Akwaaba African Travel Market is the only international travel fair in West Africa in partnership with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC); listed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); and the only member of the International Tourism Trade Fairs Association (ITTFA) in West Africa.
The first Akwaaba African Travel Market (AFTM) was held in Lagos in 2005.
AKWAABA African Travel Market STRENGTHENS the ties among African countries and organisations in the promotion of economic trade in the travel and tourism markets
Seeing the power of tourism, South Africa used Akwaaba African Travel market as a reaching platform to bridge her gap with Nigeria.
Thulani Nzima, chief executive officer of the South African Tourism (SAT) is quoted saying: ‘’ During Akwaaba, we officially announced our partnership with the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), who will help boost tourist arrivals growth from Nigeria to South Africa by developing a range of packages to suit the Nigerian travelers ’’.
As quoted by Akwaaba African Travel Market organizer, Ikechi Uko: ‘’The fair has opened the door to Nigeria and Africa tourism markets and served as a platform for exchange of cultural and tourism potentials among participating countries.
“The Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the largest training institute in Africa, partners with Akwaaba African Travel Market to reach out to the West Africa region in the areas of pilot training. Akwaaba offers NCAT a platform to reach out to a large audience of top players in the Aviation industry from West Africa”.
Gambia used the Akwaaba African Travel Market platform to showcase Gambia to the world and seeks investments.
Akwaaba African Travel Market is the official travel partner for the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA).
To foster the relationship of East Africa with West Africa, East Africa adopts Akwaaba African Travel Market as the official tourism expo in West Africa; and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopts Akwaaba African Travel Market as the official travel expo in the region of West Africa.
Over the years, attendance include former president of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo; former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Sir Emeka Anyaoku; former Vice President of Nigeria, Chief Alex Ekwueme; Executive Secretary of ATA, Eddie Bergman;
Others include Heads of States of African nations; governors; ambassadors; heads of tourism boards both local and foreign, CEOs of corporations; heads of International Institutions; General manager of hotels, airlines; tour operators and travel agents; celebrities and the media.
Past recipients of the Awards includes former president of Gambia, Sir Dawda Jawara; Dr Danny Jordaan, the CEO of South Africa World Cup LOC; Capt Irene Mutungi, the first lady airline captain in Africa;
Others are Captain Desta Zeru, the first African to captain a B787; Capt Chinyere Kalu, first female pilot in Nigeria.
Past and present committee members of the Africa Travel Awards include: Chika A. Onyeani – Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, African Sun Times, USA based publication (USA); SHEIKH Tejan Nyang – Tourism Expert from the Gambia. Denis Gathanju – CEO of Safari Communications based in Nairobi, (Kenya) and Kigali, (Rwanda).
The list also includes Janjay F. Campbell – of The INQUIRER Newspaper (Liberia); Ogo Sow – Journalist and host of OgoSow.com (Atlanta, USA); Mrs. Tinuke Nwakohu – Managing Director, Aviator Travel & Tours Limited (Nigeria); Monique Swart – Founder, African Business Travel Association (ABTA), (South-Africa);
Also Gordon Adoboe – Former President, Tour Operators Union of Ghana and a founding member of the West African Tourism Union based in Ghana. Consiga Khiga – Ceo of Destination Connect (Kenya); Adefunke Adeyemi – IATA representative in Africa; Yunus Saliu – Columnist at Daily Observer Newspaper (Gambia) Ali Diouf – of The National Daily of Senegal “Le Soleil” (Senegal); Samuel Doe – A Journalist from Ghana Daily Graphics Newspapers (Ghana);
And Yvette smith Cole – Producer with the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (Sierra Leone); Patricia Ellis – Producer, Explore Zambia TV program on ZNBC (Zambia); Waturi Matu – Business Environment Director at Trade Mark East Africa (Kenya); Olanma Ojukwu – Managing Director, God’s Own Travel Agency (Benin); Amos Wekesa – Founder of Great Lakes Safaris and Uganda Lodges Limited (Uganda); Chiquita Johnson – Hospitality Professional (Liberia);
With Khomotso Ketsall – (South-Africa); Nancy Sam – President, Tour Operator Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) (Ghana) and so many too numerous to mention.
The Africa Travel and Tourism Conference is to address the challenges and solutions of travel and tourism development in Africa. With expert speakers and discussants drawn across the globe, delegates, guests and exhibitors will be enriched with vital knowledge and information on the up-to-date changing trends in the practice and operations within the related sectors of the travel and tourism business aspects are Aviation day, the Country Day celebration and Hospitality Day. This event is rounded off with lunch, Raffle-draw, musical performances and Wine-tasting: aimed at promoting travel within Africa through showcasing the food, Culture and destinations of participating countries.
The Wedding g Spa segment of the AFTM features services and professionals et this business, these include the best African hotels; spa houses; event planners; caterers; makeup artists; photographers; fashion designers with designs from top fashion houses and bridal designers.
As this year’s Akwaaba African Travel Market promises to be bigger and better, Lagos State is set to establish its presence as the destination of choice in Africa as it will seek to impress and woo travellers, both leisure and business, to Africa’s biggest metropolis.
Renn Offor
