Despite Africa’s 1.4 billion people from her 54 countries, which is a huge potential to grow her tourism, the continent still lags in intra-African travel and tourism exchanges, while losing billions of dollars.
To reverse the ugly trend, Ikechi Uko, CEO, Akwaaba African Travel Market, the largest travel expo in West Africa, has been advocating for open borders to facilitate more trade, tourism and cultural exchanges in Africa.
Uko’s argument is that Africa gets less than 100 million tourists annually, which is very meager.
Also, that if each of the 54 African countries generates 10 percent to 20 percent of its population as domestic tourists and share about 5 percent as tourists within Africa, then “we all will be happy with a thriving tourism industry in Africa”.
The above background was top among the reasons tourism stakeholders in West Africa, starting with Nigeria and Benin Republic, gathered to put their heads together on collaborations to grow tourism between the two neighbouring countries.
Beyond the talks, the stakeholders, the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), and Consortium Tourism by Millions of Benin (CTMB), its Benin Republic counterpart, set the collaboration ball rolling with the first ever familirization tour by NATOP members and select media in the small French-speaking West African country.
Organised by NATOP and CTMB in collaboration with Azalai Hotel Cotonou Benin Royal Hotel Cotonou, the two-day tour highlighted the association’s renewed commitment to cross-border partnerships among West African countries, particularly between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
Also, the strategic two-day tour marked a renewed effort to promote intra-African travel, and especially to reduce the shameful dependence on overseas vacation destinations, while abandoning the many chic, luxurious and cheaper destinations on the West African coast.
Excited at the resounding welcome in Benin Republic by the country’s private sector tourism body, Bolaji Mustapha, president, NATOP, explained that the tour was aimed at developing all-year-round tour packages targeted at African travellers, starting with this year’s summer holiday season.
Mustapha, who doubles as the founder of Grand Express Tour Centre (GET Centre), an Opebi, Lagos-based tour company, noted further that the familiarisation tour would offer a fertile ground for networking, exchanges and collaborations between the Nigerian tour operators and their Beninese counterparts.
She pointed out that as professionals, tour operators do well when they exprience and understand the products or destinations they are marketing, hence describing the two-day event as experiential tour.
“It has been exciting here in Benin Republic. But the essence of this farm trip is to experience and understand the products we (tour operators) want to sell, and not just selling on the phone.
“The reality is that you need to experience what you want to give to others,” the NATOP president said.
She also expressed excitement that for the two days, both parties were exploring packaging strategies, while deepening their understanding of local tourism destinations of both countries.
Looking at the long term gains, Dine Bouraima, president, CTMB and owner of Benin Royal Hotel Cotonou, described the collaboration as mutually beneficial, with the two tourism industries making the industry to count in their national economies.
He also noted that the increasing visa restrictions by some nations, particularly the USA and UAE, are blessings in disguise as many deterred from travelling abroad, especially for summer holidays can look up to beautiful destinations within West Africa, which are stress-free, no visa required and most importantly, very cheap.
Offering the rationale for the collaboration, the hotelier said:
“Benin Republic needs Nigeria and we want to work together.
“If this relationship works for all of us, there is no reason to take our money outside of West Africa and the continent”.
He discouraged African tourists from seeking destinations outside the continent, while urging them to look inwards to domestic and regional offerings.
“Benin is safe. Very safe. It is clean and cheap too,” he said.
On her part, Olanma Ojukwu, co-founder, God’s Own Travel Agency (GOTA) Benin Republic, noted that the tour was a dream come true as it was long-overdue, amid cravings by West African tour operators for such a platform to network, know themselves and collaborate in products development, packaging and promotions.
For the GOTA co-founder, with the collaboration and unified products, the challenges of marketing African destinations at international scenes, expos and fairs are over.
“Each time I travel for an international fair abroad, I am impressed by East Africans, especially the passion with which they sell their destinations in their pavilion. They push it out to the visitors, assuring that with a single visa, they would be able to visit several countries in the East African region. But it is working,” Ojukwu attested.
Apart from East Africa, she disclosed that such collaborations have also worked in the European market, hence West Africa should, at least, copy.
Okorie Uguru, president, Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET), commended the tour and collaboration, noting that it will not only grow tourism businesses and industry in West Africa, but would also enhance the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols, especially on free trade and free movement of people within the region.
Citing Kenya’s sustainance of its tourism industry with 70 percent domstic patronage, and less from foreigners, South Africa and Eqypt as well, Uguru insisted that there is no rocket science in growing tourist arrivals, but to learn and copy from thriving destinations and adapt to your country’s specifics.
He believes that with the NATOP-CTMB collaborations, things will turn around for good in the West African tourism corridor.
Meanwhile, the tour saw delegates from both countries visiting some of the top tourism attractions in Benin Republic, starting with facility tours of Azalai Hotel Cotonou and Benin Royal Hotel Cotonou, which hosted Nigerian delegates.
Of course, the Amazon Square, which hosts the huge statue of the Dahomey female warrior, was a delight for the visiting Nigerian tour operators.
Also, a trip to Family Beach for lovers of beach outing was among the tour itinerary.
Then, a visit to Quidah, the cultural city of Benin Republic, was one of the highlights.
From the enthralling experience at Casa Dei Papa Resort, the point of no return, now upgraded with modern entertainment facilities, such as performance stages, food courts and enhanced beachfront, to the python shrine, sacred forest and slave trade market, Quidah was a delight.
Yet, the visit to Ganvié, the floating town, was a five-star experience for all. From the moment they stepped on the jetty, boarding the boats, being escorted by colourful boat dance group, tour of the village and hearing the stories behind it by a man born in water and lives in water, peeping into the floating hotel and return to the jetty, it was an experience that will linger in their memories for a very long time.
With enough information and experience of the products and destinations, Mustapha concluded that selling Benin Republic to the Nigerian travelling public would be easier after the tour.
On their parts, Bouraima and Ojukwu assured on their commitments to grow the collaboration and for mutual benefits, going forward.
