The Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) Mr. Olayiwola Awakan has called for fresh perspective and newness of ideas in the development and marketing of Nigeria as a tourist destination, adding that the country’s tourism industry can only grow when both the private and public sector work together. He said this during his opening address at the African Tourism Commission (ATC) inaugural summit and exhibition held this week in Lagos.

The NTDA boss said the tourism sector could drive the Nigerian economy if managed properly. His words: “It’s (tourism) one sector that can drive Nigerian economy and get us to the Promised Land.  And one way for us to do that is to work together and to synergize. It is my great pleasure on behalf of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to warmly welcome you all to this important gathering of Africa’s tourism leaders and stakeholders under the auspices of the African Travel Commission. We are truly honored to participate in this timely engagement which reflects our shared commitment to repositioning tourism as a strategic driver of economic growth, cultural diplomacy, job creation, and sustainable development across our great continent.”

Speaking on the ATC, Awakan said: “The African Travel Commission, ATC, was conceived from a shared continental aspiration to reposition tourism as a strategic instrument for Africa’s economic growth, cultural diplomacy, regional integration, and sustainable development. It serves as a unifying platform that brings together African government, tourism authorities, private sector operators, development partners, and the creatives to collectively advance Africa’s tourism interests. At its core, ATC champions collaboration, advocacy, policy alignment, and strategic promotion with the objective of presenting Africa as a single, compelling, and competitive tourism destination.”

The NTDA boss also praised the Executive Director of ATC, Dr. Lucky George and his team, for reviving the ATC initiative. He said Africa stands at a defining moment in its tourism evolution, that the continent is blessed with rich cultural heritage, diverse ecosystems, historic sites, vibrant creative industries, and resilient people. But that unlocking the full value of these assets requires collective action through harmonized policies, improved connectivity, shared marketing platforms, skill development, and strong public private partnerships. He spoke further: “The African Travel Commission provides a credible and structured framework for driving this collective action across borders. By integrating exhibitions, business-to-business meetings, high-profile engagements, and cultural showcases, the summit reinforces tourism’s role as a catalyst for economic diversification, job creation, and inclusive growth.”

Delivering a good message, the Chief Executive Officer of World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Gloria Guevara promised her organization’s support for the sector in Africa, saying, “WTTC is proud to join this journey and support the sector so that we can unlock the potential for travel and tourism. 2023 was a historical year for travel and tourism. We had 1.5 billion international arrivals, the highest number ever. Globally, we’re forecasting that travel and tourism could reach 11.7 trillion and 371 million jobs. We are a country who was the third largest country in the world. In Africa, the sector contributed 225 billion to GDP and supported almost 30 million jobs. That’s a clear signal of how tourism is growing and the importance of the role of our sector. International visitor spending also grew, reaching 77 billion dollars. And that is very important. Africa is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the growth for international travel. But we face also some real challenges, like improving transportation. Connectivity, for instance, needs to expand new routes intra Africa and to Africa.”

Speaking on behalf of the Director of the Private Sector and Industries Commissioner and the Commissioner for Agriculture of the Economics Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr. Olalekan Afolabi said the summit was aimed at transforming the tourism industry rather than just taking: “We are here at this event not just to talk, but to transform. The very conception of this event forged in partnership between the ECOWAS, AfDB,   NTDA signals our collective determination to move beyond rhetoric. Our shared goal is to focus on practical, actionable strategies to unlock the full value chain of African tourism. On a sub-regional basis across Africa, tourism contributes less in West Africa than it has in East and Southern Africa. According to the World Bank data, tourism has historically contributed just about 2% of West African gross domestic product that is GDP, compared to approximately 5.5% in East Africa and 3.4% in Southern Africa. But within the region we have countries like The Gambia that has a higher share of tourism to their GDP, about 20%. Countries like Senegal have about 7%, and Nigeria has about 3.6% contribution to GDP. So, this initiative is a wake-up call and it is an initiative in the right direction to push the share of GDP, the contribution of tourism to GDP even higher.”