Nigeria reconnects to global tourism, amid cultural showcase at WTM

Detailed summary

It would be recalled that Nigeria, a regular attendee at the global fair, ceased participation as a country for almost a decade due to lapses from the leadership of the then…

While the 2026 edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) London has come and gone, the memories will linger for the Nigerian travel community and especially for the attendees, who visited the country’s stand.

Nigeria’s impressive outing this year at WTM, one of the largest travel fairs in the world, is coming after a long hiatus at the fair as a country.

It would be recalled that Nigeria, a regular attendee at the global fair, ceased participation as a country for almost a decade due to lapses from the leadership of the then Nigerian Tourism Authority (NTDA), who did not see reasons to participate at one of the highest levels of global tourism networking.

The country’s participation at the fair, which was held from November 3-5, 2026, at ExCeL London, was led by the NTDA, with NTT Global Destinations serving as its strategic and pavilion implementation partner, coordinating pavilion delivery, stakeholder mobilisation, international liaison and programme implementation.

But credit goes to Ola Awakan, current director general, NTDA, who deemed it fit to reconnect the Nigerian tourism industry to global platforms this year.

At the fair, Nigeria’s presence was truly felt by many attendees who stopped over at its glamorous stand or even onlookers from other stands.

For the three days the fair was held, the African giant truly made an impact. It combined exciting and diverse cultural showcases, series of tourism industry engagements and international partnerships to promote the country’s destination potential on the global stage.

The Nigeria Pavilion, sponsored by the NTDA, attracted tourism professionals, international visitors and a strong turnout of Nigerians and African diasporas in the United Kingdom, alongside industry stakeholders who travelled from Nigeria.

Also, at the travel fair, the NTT Global Destinations, led by Elizabeth Agboola, its founder and chief executive officer, leveraged its established international relationships and diaspora networks to strengthen…

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