Nigeria will be fully present at 2024 WTM – FTAN President

• Applauds NANTA, WATO For Representation
The President of the Federation of Nigerian Tourism Associations (FTAN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung has said the 2024 edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, United Kingdom will fully feature Nigeria’s travel and tourism operators.

Onung who disclosed this in a statement as a reaction to the low-key participation of the country at the just-concluded annual WTM trade exhibition in London, assured that there will be an improvement come next edition in 2024 and the country will be fully and better represented.

WTM is one of the biggest trade exhibition platforms to showcase and exhibit travel and tourism products by participants from across the world. The WTM also showcases private sector operators in travel related industries including; hotels, airlines, car rentals, tour operators, cruise lines.

Unfortunately, Nigeria was unable to attend, as only the representation made by the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), and a private operator, Wakanow, flew Nigeria’s flag at the trade show. Incidentally, another private sector operators’ group, the West Africa Travel Organisation (WATO) also lifted the sub-region’s presence at the trade expo in a separate stand.
The Nigeria government did not officially put up an exhibition stand at the 2023 trade expo, which would serve as a general platform for all private and public sector operators in the industry to showcase their products.

The FTAN boss however noted that the absence of the Nigerian delegation is a temporary setback, while explaining that the original plan of the Federal Government was for the Minister of Tourism, Ms Lola Ade-John to lead the Nigerian delegation to the trade show, in line with the pledge of government’s renewed commitment towards growing the industry which was made to the private sector operators in September this year.

Onung said: “However, due to unforeseen challenges, mostly having to do with the minister’s health, as well as logistics issues, that plan was temporarily shelved but not discarded. The government, from what I have been reliably informed will still fulfill its original plan for the just-concluded WTM 2023 by the next edition in 2024. So we expect that Nigerian travel and tourism operators will be given the room to demonstrate their capacities by way of showcasing their enormous travel and tourism products at the next edition of the trade exhibition in London. Also, the Federal Government, through the minister had assured stakeholders of an improved investment and participation in the industry, and it is not relenting on this assurance, hence, we assure that the next edition will gather an expanded delegation of operators to attend and showcase our offerings at the expo.”

The FTAN President however appreciated and hailed NANTA, WATO and Wakanow and others who exhibited at the WTM 2023 trade show, which gave Nigeria a good representation. “The NTDA Director General, Folarin Coker represented the Minister at the WTM expo, but I appreciate NANTA and others like WATO, Wakanow for the wonderful showcase on behalf of the Nigerian tourism operators. They indeed flew our flag really well from reports I have read on the trade exhibition.”