By Frank Meke @ Mekefrank@gmail.com
Nigeria began its return to the London world travel market on a tense note yesterday without the new minister of culture, tourism, and creative economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, anywhere in sight.
The gap and absence of the minister or any announced official delegation, either in the person of the permanent secretary or Director, International Tourism , left an anxious void, which initially presented a picture of tokism attendance or a merely a flitting fancy showpiece.
However, the effervescent appearance of lagos State Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs TOKE Benson Awoyinka doused the tension and unified the Nigerian participation agenda.
Gleefully moving around the expanded Nigerian outing with nanta pavilion in strategic position, Mrs. Benson Awoyinka glavernised the entire exhibitors and trade operators, hugging and shaking hands with a trademark telepathic smiles, reflective of that of an experienced beauty queen. Toke Benson Awoyinka is indeed beautiful, a deserving cultural tourism ministerial material!
Excited by Toke Benson Awoyinka swags and leadership, the tensed atmosphere suddenly gave way to the true Nigerian spirit, cohesion, and togetherness.
Though the sacked Minister of TOURISM Mrs lola Ade John, was in attendance, Toke Benson Awoyinka became the magical rallying interventionist, being the only visible culture and tourism state actor from Nigeria, bearing the national cultural tourism industry compass.
Nkereweum Onung, President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, also attended the official flag off the Nigerian participation after a decade of absence.
As earlier reported, the Nigerian representation is headlined by the nanta pavilion, where Ibom Air Nigerian emerging Africa regional airline domiciled its presence with Sabre, another Nigerian leading travel trade technology company, powering the dominant growth and development of Nigerian aviation sector as a structured driver of tourism in Nigeria.
There was the National Association Nigerian Tour Operators, lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and others.
Trade materials and beautiful brochures on Nigeria tourism offerings generiously dotted all the Nigerian desks with nanta pavilion the destination for tasting of all Nigerian indigenous snack offerings, some made from ground nut and coconut flakes.
The traffic of visitors and trade enquiries to the Nigerian comeback presence was impressive with Nigerians based in the United Kingdom praying for sustainable future participation after this breakthrough, which was inspired by nanta, a non governmental travel trade organisation in Nigeria.
Egypt, Morocco dominated Africa pavilion with outlandish presence providing well designed avant garde creative cover for over a hundred sub trade operators from their countries, indicative of their national investment and expenditure to attract tourism traffic to their countries.
Ghana, Gambia, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tanzania all showed a modest appearance targeting the huge international trade consumers and the holiday world. Tanzania is a destination to watch in Africa. South Africa? It has lost its lure, maybe looking to Europe and abandoning its over two decades of Africa centric attention.
