Throughout the world, there is cultural diversity but in the present computer age that people travel around the world seeking for places with history, tradition, unique culture among other tourist attractions, it’s safe to say tourism has enhanced unity in diversity and placed culture on a global stage.
Confirming this during an encounter, the Chicago-based tourist of repute, Daniel Oni, said, “From Lagos to New York to Dubai, today’s traveler encounters the same hotels, malls, and restaurants. While familiar, this sameness often strips destinations of identity. Increasingly, travelers crave authentic cultural experiences rooted in history and tradition.”
In Oni’s understanding, his idea, Heritage Tourism provides that authenticity. Speaking further, Oni said, “according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, heritage-related travel makes up more than 40 per cent of global tourism, while UNESCO sites attract over 1.4 billion visitors annually. Far more than sightseeing, heritage tourism fosters national pride, drives economic growth, and connects people to their roots.”
Only a few professionals embody this vision more clearly than Oni, a tourism and hospitality expert whose career spans Nigeria and the United States. Through both field experience and academic research, he shows how heritage tourism can transform communities and unite nations.
Born in Lagos, Daniel grew up immersed in Yoruba festivals, oral traditions, and sacred landscapes. His academic path at Ekiti State University focused on tourism as both a cultural and economic force.
During his National Youth Service at the Oyo State Tourism Board, he guided visitors through heritage sites, introduced new revenue systems, and promoted cultural preservation. His efforts earned him the Excellence in Cultural Heritage Preservation Award.
For him, this proved that heritage was about people as much as monuments—artisans, youth, and communities who bring traditions alive. Seeking to expand his vision, Oni moved to Chicago for graduate studies at Roosevelt University. As a Graduate Assistant at the Heller College of Business, he supported students while leading initiatives such as the AI in Tourism Symposium and a cultural film project (“Mr. Kelly’s Show”). These projects linked heritage with innovation, proving that academic research can shape real-world cultural engagement.
Heritage As An Economic Driver
Globally, heritage tourism is a multi-billion-dollar engine, Oni revealed. Oni said, “in the U.S., cultural travelers contribute over $170 billion each year, staying longer and spending more than average tourists. Peru’s Machu Picchu generates billions of dollars yearly, while Savannah, Georgia, revived its economy by restoring historic squares.
Nigeria, however, has not fully tapped its heritage assets from the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove to the Ife bronze heads. “Visitors don’t come to Nigeria just for hotels,” Oni explains.
“They come for sacred groves, royal bronzes, music, and traditions. Properly developed, these sites could sustain whole communities and drive inclusive growth.”
The ripple effects are clear: heritage sites create jobs, inspire small businesses, improve infrastructure, and foster national pride. Oni believes Nigeria can replicate global success stories if it links cultural preservation to workforce training and sustainable planning, Oni added.
Research, Advocacy, NATA
At Roosevelt, Oni’s research focused on training and retraining the workforce in hospitality which is a critical step, he argues, for making heritage tourism sustainable. “Sites attract visitors, but people bring them back,” he says.
This philosophy led him to found the New American Tourism Advocacy (NATA), a platform that revitalises U.S. rural economies through heritage. NATA trains young people in hospitality, promotes digital storytelling of heritage, and partners with governments to integrate culture into economic development. By blending research and practice, Oni demonstrates that heritage tourism is not nostalgia but it is strategy.
With Lessons and Challenges as examples around the world, Oni proves his case.
“Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove (Nigeria): With investment and skilled management, could generate thousands of jobs yearly.
Route 66 (U.S.): Once a fading highway, has become a heritage corridor reviving small-town economies. Machu Picchu (Peru): Carefully managed tourism balances conservation with billions in revenue.
Yet challenges remain. Over-commercialisation can erode authenticity, while poor management threatens fragile sites”. For Oni, the solution is balance: strong conservation, community ownership, workforce certification, and use of digital tools to reduce physical strain.
Heritage As Nation-Building
Beyond economics, heritage tourism is nation-building. In Nigeria, shared heritage can unite diverse groups while In the U.S., it connects rural towns to the broader national story.
For Oni, heritage is forward-looking, offering unity and resilience in a rapidly changing world. A Shared Responsibility Oni envisions a future where heritage is central to policy, supported by training programs, cross-border partnerships, and digital access. His work through NATA and his academic leadership in Chicago illustrate that heritage preservation and economic revival go hand in hand.
“Heritage is not a commodity to exploit, it is a legacy to preserve,” he said. In an age of globalisation, heritage is what makes nations unique. And in that uniqueness lies the power to transform economies, strengthen identities, and unite people.
