The iconic and biggest global travel and tourism trade market, World Travel Market (WTM), opens in London, on Monday, November 7, 2022, with trail blazing National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) hoisting Nigerian flag at the event.
The NANTA effort, unprecedented, is a refreshing and robust intervention to proudly showcase Nigeria in the absence of strong government tourism representation. Visible representation at WTM is the norm, when global tourism communities gather to tell their stories and attract a chunk of global tourism traffic to their destinations.
Like AirPeace, the biggest Nigeria domestic carrier, has done successfully in global aviation circles; standing bold in the absence of a Nigerian state airline to give options in global travel opportunities, NANTA certainly muscles up its travel trade experience to tell good stories about Nigerian tourism/cultural opportunities and its fledging digital economy to the global gathering of Travel marketers and resource buyers in tourism at the UK market.
NANTA, would not flex alone, apart from its ever unrelenting and strong willed members, always willing to break new grounds in travel and tourism ecosystem, Nigerian ambassador to the United Kingdom, AirPeace and Arik (two major Nigerian domestic airlines) will add strong presence to the NANTA-Nigeria stand at WTM.
Susan Akporiaye, President of NANTA, leads the huge Nigerian tourism narrative and has promised to sustain the novel effort, which is indicative of how the private sector can add value to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria.
Though many people contend it is the business of the Federal Government Tourism Agencies to showcase Nigeria to the world, NANTA fills the gap and enriches the message of the private sector to assure and assume the ownership of the values and gains of industry.
According to NANTA President, the WTM NANTA-Nigeria showpiece, has the support of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation ( NTDC). This again reflects a new pattern of relationships and direction in the quest to proudly market Nigeria to the outside world.
“Otunba Segun Runsewe remains our strategic and strong pillar, but for our own Nafest coinciding with WTM dates, he would have led this campaign”. All the same, NCAC gave NANTA support and cultural tourism marketing tools to sell Nigeria. Folorunsho Coker, DG NTDC, was equally supportive and through them, we have Nigerian branded gift items to give away to visitors to the NANTA-Nigeria Stand in London.
Also on the NANTA-Nigeria tourism train is La Campagne Tropicana Resort, Ibeju Lekki Lagos; the only global resort with natural ambiance in nature, river, and beach themed ecosystem.
Coming back home and with deep gratitude, Mrs Akporiaye extends special appreciation to the Board of Trustees, Executive Council, and Members of NANTA for making this possible, adding that NANTA is set to excite the WTM London event with a proudly NIgerian FLAVOUR!
