Photo: Major Lyte / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nigeria’s return to World Travel Market London has put its culture back before global travel buyers, but the real measure of success will be whether the country can turn spectacle into visitor confidence and bookings.
Back on the global travel floor
Nigeria took part in World Travel Market London, held at ExCeL London from 3 to 5 November, after an absence from the major international travel trade show. The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), private travel businesses and tour operators used the event to present the country’s cultural depth, hospitality and tourism potential to overseas buyers.
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NTDA director-general Ola Awakan described the appearance as a significant moment for Nigeria’s tourism industry, while tourism-sector representatives praised greater coordination between public agencies and private operators.
That collaboration matters. International trade events are not consumer holidays; they are places where destinations pitch directly to tour operators, agents, investors and media who can decide whether Nigeria features in travel programmes sold abroad.
Culture is an asset, not yet a tourism guarantee
Nigeria has a formidable cultural proposition: Afrobeats, fashion, film, food, festivals, heritage sites and a diaspora whose influence is felt around the world. At WTM, that cultural energy was central to the country’s presentation.
The Nigerian Association of Tour Operators also launched a Nigeria Tourism Passport, intended as a guide to destinations, heritage, nature, festivals and hospitality offerings. It is a useful marketing tool, but it cannot by itself solve the wider challenge: making it simple, predictable and attractive for a first-time international visitor to book a trip.
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The most recent internationally comparable data puts Nigeria’s 2024 inbound tourist arrivals at about 538,900. That is a modest figure for Africa’s most populous country and underscores the gap between Nigeria’s global cultural reach and its international leisure-tourism pull.
The conversion problem
Nigeria has made formal entry routes more digital. The Nigeria Immigration Service offers an online tourism e-visa, generally allowing a single entry and a stay of up to 30 days, subject to documentation including a return ticket, accommodation details and proof of funds.
But tourism is shaped by more than a visa portal. Visitors and travel companies need reliable information, clear transport options, quality accommodation, strong customer service and confidence that itineraries can be delivered safely and consistently. Investors also need fewer administrative barriers if new resorts, tours, cultural venues and tourism infrastructure are to scale.
Tourism leaders at WTM called for reforms that make investment and private-sector participation easier. That is the central policy issue behind the colourful stand: Nigeria must build a visitor economy, not simply market a destination.
Why this matters
For Black travellers across the diaspora, Nigeria offers far more than a family visit or business stopover. It can be a place to engage directly with contemporary African creativity, history and community. A stronger tourism sector could also spread income beyond the major cities to guides, artisans, performers, restaurants, transport providers and local attractions.
Related DGBN reporting includes AITEC World calls for investment-led tourism partnerships at WTM London.
Nigeria’s WTM return was therefore a necessary step, not a finish line. The country has regained a platform in London. Its next challenge is to ensure international travellers see a clear reason—and a smooth route—to come.