The rising collaboration between Nigerian and Beninese tourism operators is opening new industry alternatives, attracting extra guests and steadily breaking down boundaries between Anglophone and Francophone West Africa.
For Mrs. Olamma Ojukwu, Leader Govt Officer of GOTA Voyage, the shuttle and tourism arm of GOTA World Workforce, partnerships amongst excursion operators are very important to unlocking the area’s tourism doable, strengthening cross-border relationships and selling locations that experience lengthy remained underexplored.
Talking at the sidelines of the twenty second Akwaaba African Commute Marketplace, Ojukwu highlighted Benin Republic’s cultural heritage, rising tourism sights and hospitality choices, whilst reflecting on how familiarisation visits and trade networking are translating into industry alternatives between the 2 international locations.
She stated: “Since 2016, we had the instant previous president that the entire global is speaking about that made up our minds to position Benin Republic at the map of Africa. Within the early twenties, you may get out of Benin and inform folks you’re from Benin, and they might ask you to convey the map. We needed to say it is rather as regards to Nigeria, Togo and Ghana for them to in fact know the place you’re coming from.
“However the previous president, Patrice Talon, took Benin to the map of the arena. Let me say, he reintroduced Benin. These days, you return to Benin, and we’ve got a logo referred to as the Amazon, the Girl King. You wish to have to come back to West Africa and also you don’t have Benin in your map? It’s like you haven’t begun, as a result of everyone desires to have an image of the Amazon.
“We also are promoting the coastal street of Benin, from the border the entire solution to our historic town, Bida. You may have the explicit street, you spot the seashores, and we’ve got submit waterfront eating places and structures the place everyone desires to come back and take a seat down and really feel like they’re in Alicante, Spain, proper subsequent door.
“Benin is that nation the place you haven’t any mild problems, no water problems, the nightlife is top-notch, you permit your doorways open and also you don’t have visitors problems. Those are many extra herbal issues we’re promoting in Benin.”
She added: “We introduced the operators we have been speaking about to revel in the Venice of Africa, which is our Ganvié. Until lately, Benin is that West African nation that has made up our minds to make our tradition and faith top-notch and sellable to the arena. It’s the cradle of Voodoo. You return to Benin, and you’ve got the African faith nonetheless being celebrated. For this reason we’ve got Voodoo, which we have fun each and every first week of January. All that and lots of extra are what we’ve got come to promote at Akwaaba.
“GOTA Voyage is in fact in Benin, Togo and Nigeria. Being Nigerian-born, we had the highest excursion operators come to revel in Benin for 3 days. These days, as you noticed at this match, the overall supervisor of Azalaï Lodge got here together with her staff to showcase right here. Azalaï Lodge is likely one of the two motels that hosted them.
“She now has a large number of Nigerian excursion operators bringing vacationers from Nigeria to consult with Benin. After the development, they left for Abuja to interact companions who were coming to satisfy them in Benin, just because they’d excursion operators who visited their lodge and that courting was once prolonged. This presentations that a large number of industry is now going down between the 2 international locations just because Nigerian excursion operators visited Benin.
“West Africa is waking up. Once I began coming in 2011, and from 2016 once we started to look extra contributors, we have been 4. These days, we’re 9. This collaboration, I let you know, is simplest going to develop, and it is going to amaze you.
“The Benin executive despatched 3 delegates to the 2026 Akwaaba. They got here to determine why they must showcase subsequent yr. This collaboration has long past past the stakeholders; it has reached the federal government. That suggests insurance policies round tourism will start to trade, additional improving the connection between our two international locations.”