Nigeria is seeking to deepen tourism cooperation with China as the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Ola Awakan, met with the President of the China Tourism Academy, Dai Bin, in Beijing.
The meeting focused on developing the Chinese tourism market for Nigeria, using tourism data and traveller trends to attract more Chinese tourists to Nigerian destinations. Awakan proposed a structured China-Nigeria Tourism Market Development Programme to better understand Chinese outbound travel patterns.
Awakan also called for stronger technical and capacity-building cooperation in destination development, tourism research, standards and institutional development. He said greater collaboration could create opportunities for Chinese investors, tourism operators and hospitality businesses to invest in Nigeria.
Dai Bin welcomed the proposed partnership, describing Nigeria as a country with significant cultural and historical tourism resources. He stressed the need to improve Nigeria’s image among Chinese travellers and operators while expanding exchanges in education, training and business.
The China Tourism Academy also expressed readiness to work with the NTDA towards establishing a Nigerian International Tourism Promotion Centre in China to promote Nigerian destinations and tourism products. The engagement formed part of Awakan’s working visit to China.
Daily Times
