The 2018 Akwaaba West African Travel Market, Lagos will go down as one of the most successful fair since its inception 14 years ago. Many of the visitors and participants believe the just ended 2018 fair had the largest number of visitors, participants and inbound visitors.
The fair was opened by the Lagos Governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Fola Adeyemi. It also witnessed the second edition of the Jollof Rice War involving Nigeria, Ghana and the Gambia. The judges were from four African countries outside West Africa which included South Africa, Tanzania and Ethiopia. After a keen competition, this year’s edition was won by the Gambia.
The National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC) led by the Director General, Otunba Segun Runsewe, in a bid promote Nigerian culture and cuisines, provided delicacies for locals and foreign participants.
The second day of the fair saw the Top 100 Tour Operators in Africa. It was a roll call top tour operators in Africa.
Tuesday, September 11, was Lagos Day at the fair. The state’s exhibition stand was bustling with visitors and guests from all over Africa and beyond coming to make one inquiry or the other. Lagos used the Akwaaba to give a snippet of its tourism masterplan. The implementation, according to the state, would jumpstart the development of the state to a destination.
Speaking on tourism during the Lagos Day, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by the state’s Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Steve Ayorinde, said the government had demonstrated its commitment to the growth and development of its tourism and culture sector through partnerships with the private sector.
One of such partnerships is the collaboration with the organisers of the annual Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos to showcase the state tourism potential to the world.
He further said the present administration had continued to create paths and develop strategies that would raise the bar of the state’s tourism sector and reposition its strength among other tourist destinations in Africa and the world.
He disclosed that the state’s participation in the event would produce a stronger, a more efficient tourism and creative economy sector as the government would now tell her story better.
He said Lagos, the cultural capital of Nigeria and indeed West Africa and the fifth largest economy in Africa, is undeniably the-must- go city for business and entertainment.
Ambode noted that this year’s event was significant and unique as it was the very first time the Lagos State government was partnering as well as fully participating in Akwaaba to showcase its efforts and tourism potential as a state.
He said: “The state government’s active participation since Sunday has afforded our African brothers and sisters and international community the opportunity to interact and network with the over 60 exhibitors in the hospitality, travel, transport, tour operators and creative product sectors across Africa that are here to showcase their services and products.
“This expectedly will produce a stronger and a more efficient tourism and creative economy sector as the state government will now better tell her story and give her narratives on the abundance tourism potentials in the state in furtherance of its sincere commitment in making Lagos the preferred destination for tourism, business and leisure.”
He stated the government had invested heavily in key infrastructure projects which are intended to have positive impact on tourism promotion in the state, adding that some of the projects have been completed and currently in use whilst some are still under construction.
“It is our belief that having a special day for Lagos State during this important travel market for the first time will further boost the present administration’s commitment to encourage the private sector to collaborate with the state government in the development of the sector,” the governor said.
He urged all visitors to relax and take advantage of this unique opportunity to see, feel and explore what Lagos has got to offer.
The governor pointed out that the conception and sustenance of the annual Akwaaba African Travel Market is indeed worthy of commendation as the platform has consistently provided an avenue for enriching and thought-provoking treatise, meeting of like minds and brainstorming for major stakeholders in the tourism sector in Africa on issues that can help tourism promotion and development in Africa.
He applauded Ikechi Uko, the organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market for the foresight and resilience in sustaining the hosting of the event.
He said the Lagos State government is partnering the organisers of Akwaaba for the first time in hosting this edition to engage and collaborate with the private sector in the promotion of tourism in the state.
He stated further that by this singular action, the Lagos State government hopes to leverage on the unique opportunities provided by the expo to reach-out to major tourism stakeholders in the continent and to market Lagos as a choice and must-visit destination in Africa and the world.
He said in a bid to have a document that gives direction to its tourism development, the state government will be unveiling the Lagos State tourism master plan later this month.
He said: “This will help in giving legal backing to all our efforts in developing the tourism sector of the state and making Lagos the preferred destination for business leisure and entertainment”.
He said the state has also been engaging and partnering the private sector in promoting Lagos as a prime destination, adding that this has actually supported the private organizations in the entertainment and tourism sector and in some cases engaged in partnership with them in organizing social events to promote movement of the people into the state.
The exhibitors, guests and others had the opportunity to savour the taste of fresh palm wine from Epe and other entertainments.
The Lagos Day was spiced up with cultural dances from the State Cultural Troupe, presentations on Epe’s tourism potential, presentations also by Bolanle Austen Peters of Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions, among other activities.
The event attracted dignitaries, participants, exhibitors and guests from the travel, tourism and entertainment industry across Africa and Dubai.
