Nigeria is positioning its tourism sector to tap into the vast Chinese travel market, seeking to turn stronger tourism ties with China into increased visitor arrivals, investment and international visibility for Nigerian destinations.
The strategy took shape during a meeting between officials of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) and the China Tourism Academy in Beijing.
NTDA Director-General, Dr Ola Awakan, proposed a structured China-Nigeria Tourism Market Development Programme to give Nigeria deeper insight into the preferences and travel patterns of Chinese tourists.
He said the information would help Nigeria develop tourism products and marketing strategies tailored to the Chinese market, while strengthening the country’s competitiveness as a global destination.
Awakan also called for expanded cooperation in tourism research and data, destination development, standards and institutional capacity-building.
Beyond attracting visitors, he said stronger cooperation could give Chinese investors, tourism operators and hospitality businesses opportunities to explore investment-ready projects across Nigeria.
President of the China Tourism Academy, Dai Bin, described Nigeria as rich in cultural and historical resources and expressed the Academy’s readiness to establish a strategic partnership with the NTDA.
Bin, however, identified Nigeria’s image and visibility in China as an area requiring greater attention, stressing the need to help Chinese tourists and tourism operators better understand the country.
The Academy also expressed willingness to collaborate with the NTDA on a Nigerian International Tourism Promotion Centre in China to market Nigerian destinations and tourism products and deepen access to the Chinese market.
The engagement formed part of Awakan’s working visit to China, which also included participation in a seminar on climate action and sustainable development.
