By Yunus S Saliu
The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of The Gambia, Abdoulie Jobe, was honoured to join the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, in cutting the ribbon to officially open the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos, Nigeria.
The symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony, held at the Eko Hotels and Suites Convention Centre, marked the official commencement of the continent’s major travel and tourism exhibition, bringing together tourism stakeholders, travel professionals, airlines, hospitality businesses, destination marketers, investors and cultural representatives from across Africa and beyond.
Minister Jobe’s inclusion in the opening ceremony alongside the Lagos State First Lady highlighted the importance attached to The Gambia’s participation in the Nigerian tourism market and the growing tourism and cultural relationship between The Gambia and Nigeria.
Leading a Gambian delegation to the travel market, Minister Jobe used the platform to promote The Gambia as a destination for Nigerian and international travellers, while emphasising the strong historical, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
He said the longstanding relationship between The Gambia and Nigeria provided a strong foundation for increased tourism cooperation, greater movement of people and expanded opportunities for business and investment.
The Minister also stressed the importance of platforms such as Akwaaba in promoting African destinations to African travellers and creating opportunities for tourism operators across the continent to establish partnerships and develop new business opportunities.
The Gambia’s participation provided an opportunity to showcase its tourism assets, arts, cultural heritage and hospitality to the Nigerian and wider international travel market.
The Gambian delegation engaged with travel agencies, tour operators, investors, tourism stakeholders and members of the media as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s presence in the Nigerian market and promote Destination Gambia.
Speaking at the opening, First Lady Sanwo-Olu called for stronger government and private-sector support for tourism and hospitality, describing the sector as important to the identity, economy and global appeal of Lagos State.
She said Lagos had significant opportunities in business tourism, leisure, entertainment, culture and investment, adding that the sector could create more opportunities, particularly for young people.
Dr Sanwo-Olu also commended Akwaaba for sustaining a platform that brings African tourism stakeholders together to showcase destinations, build partnerships and encourage intra-African travel.
She urged tourism stakeholders to develop innovative products that would encourage Africans to explore destinations within the continent rather than looking primarily outside Africa for tourism experiences.
A notable feature of the event was the Jollof Rice War, which celebrated Africa’s culinary heritage and diversity. The Lagos State First Lady highlighted food as an important component of tourism, noting its role in telling the stories of communities, preserving cultural heritage and creating economic opportunities.
The 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market continues to serve as a pan-African platform for destinations and tourism businesses to promote their products, establish partnerships and explore opportunities for the growth of intra-African travel and tourism.
For The Gambia, its participation, led by Minister Jobe, formed part of ongoing efforts to deepen tourism cooperation with Nigeria and position Destination Gambia more strongly within the expanding African travel market.