Chief Executive Officer of NTT Global Destinations, Elizabeth Agboola, has unveiled plans for the pre-order launch of her debut ebook, Tourism as Capital: 52 Weeks That Shaped a New Continental Doctrine, a publication aimed at redefining tourism as a key driver of Africa’s economic transformation rather than merely a leisure industry.

Agboola, a Nigerian tourism strategist and policy adviser, said the ebook was a compilation of 52 essays developed from insights shared through her weekly Office Hours with TEA series over the past year.

According to her, the publication challenges conventional thinking by presenting tourism as an integrated economic system capable of stimulating investment, trade, diplomacy, workforce development, aviation and regional integration across the continent.

Agboola said the central argument of the book was that tourism should be viewed as an economic asset with the potential to create jobs, attract investments, strengthen international partnerships and transform destinations.

“Tourism has long been discussed as entertainment. This book argues that tourism should instead be recognised as capital, an economic asset capable of creating jobs, attracting investment, strengthening international partnerships, and transforming destinations,” she said.

Drawing from her experience across Africa, the Caribbean and the emerging halal economy, Agboola said the publication offers practical insights for policymakers, investors, destination managers, academics and tourism professionals seeking to unlock the sector’s economic potential.

She has been actively involved in promoting destination development through tourism diplomacy, market access and strategic partnerships.

Agboola currently serves as Strategic Partner for Market Access and Tourism Diplomacy to the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Strategic Partner for International Relations and Strategic Engagement to the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), among other roles.

The publication explores key themes such as destination economies, tourism diplomacy, aviation, halal tourism, workforce development, investment promotion, Africa-Caribbean cooperation and the role of tourism in national development.