Nigeria to fully attend WTM 2024 – FTAN Chairman
• Kudos to NANTA and WATO representatives
Chairman of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Nkerwem Onun, has said that the 2024 edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) to be held in London, UK will feature a full complement of Nigerian travel and tourism operators.
Mr. Onun disclosed this in a statement in reaction to the country’s subdued participation in the just-concluded annual WTM trade fair in London, asserting that the next time in 2024 there will be improvements and the country will fully recover. did. better expressed.
WTM is one of the largest trade fair platforms where participants from all over the world introduce and display travel and tourism products. WTM also features private sector operators in the travel-related industry, including: hotels, airlines, car rentals, tour operators and cruise lines.
Unfortunately, Nigeria was not able to participate, with only representatives from the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA) and private operator Wakanow flying the Nigerian flag at the fair. Incidentally, another private operator group, the West African Travel Organization (WATO), also increased its sub-regional presence at the fair with a separate stand.
The Nigerian government did not officially set up an exhibition booth at the 2023 trade expo that will serve as a common platform for all private and public sector operators in the industry to display their products.
The FTAN boss, however, noted that the absence of the Nigerian delegation was a temporary setback, explaining that the original plan of the Federal Government was for the Minister of Tourism, Ms. Laura Adejong, to lead the Nigerian delegation to the fair. This is in line with the government’s renewed commitment to industrial growth, made to private operators in September this year.
“However, due to unforeseen difficulties, mainly related to the minister’s health and logistical issues, that plan has been temporarily shelved, but not scrapped,” Onun said. I am reliably informed that the government will continue to implement the original plans for his just-concluded WTM 2023 by the next edition in 2024. So, we hope that Nigerian travel and tourism operators will be given some scope to demonstrate their capabilities in some way. We will be showcasing our vast range of travel and tourism products at our next trade show in London. The Federal Government, through the Minister, has also assured stakeholders of increased investment and participation in the industry, and we have no intention of loosening this guarantee. Therefore, we guarantee that in the next edition we will gather an expanded delegation of operators to participate and introduce. Our products at the expo. ”
However, the FTAN Chairman highly appreciated and commended NANTA, WATO, Wakanow and others who exhibited at the WTM 2023 trade fair for giving good representation to Nigeria. “The NTDA Executive Director, Mr. Folarin Coker, who represented the Minister at the WTM Expo, thanked NANTA, WATO, Wakanow and others for providing a great showcase on behalf of Nigeria’s tourism operators. From the reports I read at the trade show, they certainly flew our flag very well.”
Source: guardian.ng