Plans are in top gear for the hosting of the 6^th edition of the National Tourism and Transportation Summit and Expo (NTTS & E). The summit cum expo is expected to hold at the prestigious International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja from April 3rd to 4th this year. It is an event that focuses on the nexus between tourism and transportation and how  these industries could be effectively harnessed for the economic improvement of Nigeria and the African continent at large.  This year’s theme is: AfCFTA: Exploring Intra-African Trade, Tourism and Transportation Opportunities and Mitigating the Barriers to Collaboration.

The organizing committee, in a press release, said the 2023 edition of the summit and expo would provide  another opportunity for  stakeholders in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry as well as the transportation sector in Nigeria, and indeed the African continent, a platform to meet and engage in a healthy dialogue for the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in such a way that it will be beneficial to all countries within the continent.

Still focusing on AfCTA, the release said the choice of the theme: Exploring Intra-African Trade, Tourism and Transportation Opportunities and Mitigating the Barriers to Collaboration,  was deliberate with the intent to deepen a clearer understanding of possible challenges and barriers that lay ahead in the implementation of the AfCFTA regime and mitigate possible solutions by implementing government regulatory agencies and the organized private sector for increased beneficial participation in the trade liberalization and tariff waiver contents of the AfCFTA regime as enunciated by its progenitors.

The committee said: “It is indeed designed to be a major milestone in actualizing the full potentials of the free trade agreement towards benefiting both private businesses and government across the African region, as well as open up a great deal of discussions within the circle of relevant decision makers, policy enunciators, administrators, organizations, agencies, associations, trade communities and African countries.

“This is a must attend event for key industry players, Chief Executives, Associations, Decision Makers, where the platform and opportunities are made available to interact and meet with international regulatory and policy setting bodies, embassies, regulators, employers and investors to showcase and market your products and services covering such expanse fields and business areas as Aviation, Maritimes, Railways, Airport operators, Road Transportation, National and International Traveling Communities, Hoteliers and Hospitality Operations.

“Essentially, the 6th edition of the Tourism Transportation Summit and Expo is fully focused on complementing the efforts of the African Union on integrating African countries economically, through trade liberalization of the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) initiative.

“As a developmental program for the promotion of the ideals of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), organizers have, for three years in succession, initiated and promoted the desired areas to explore, dialogue and mainstream in ensuring that all countries of the African Continent, and indeed the host country of the Summit and Expo – Nigeria are not left out in putting the necessary parameters in place for the successful take off and implementation of the AfCFTA provisions for a unified bilateral trade operations in a single market environment that AfCFTA was established to achieve.”

NTTS & Expo usually  offers opportunity for policy makers, regulators, entrepreneurs, key players in the tourism, transport, banking, insurance, Oil and Gas sectors of the economy, investors, numerous esteemed customers and the general public to engage in an All-Participatory discourse aimed at chatting the desired synergy, collaboration and connective inter-play and overcoming the challenges and barriers between and amongst implementers of the AfCFTA protocol contents for maximum economic benefits of the of the continental free trade agreement.

Other activities lined up for the two-day event include the Host City Walk, to kick start activities for the event. This gives participants the opportunity to warm up physically in preparation for the marathon of events when the summit and expo kicks off. There will be sessions of the tourism transport summit where presentations will be made by carefully selected experts as key speakers on vital topics as sub themes. There will also be exhibitions and opportunities for practitioners form the public and private sector to network.

The programme will culminate with the gala night and Tourism Transport Fellowship inductions of deserving practitioners, key players and critical stakeholders of the industry instituted to recognize and foster excellence in the tourism industry and the related fields of operations critical to the sector.