Arabia Travel Market as Nigeria’s Branding Opportunities
As the global tourism world prepares of 2018 edition of Arabia Travel Market, ATM, which comes up on April 22 to 25 at Dubai Trade Centre, UnitedArab Emirate, what comes to this reporter’s mind who attended the 2017 edition of the annual expo was the amazing nation branding opportunities that were on display at the four-day annual expo at the desert country. Remarkable Rwanda, Magical Kenya, Amazing Thailand, Egypt’s ‘Where It All Began’, Wonder of Asia (Sri Lanka) amongst other nations branding legends were on display at the countries’ pavilions that one could not miss the individual national pride on display. On display were their cultural heritage, products, tourism potentials, investment opportunities and so much more. There were branded memorabilia and souvenir telling their stories and inviting visitors to come and experience. Awesome was the experience.
For Rwanda which emerged from the genocide that devastated that country 24 years ago into a globally respected emerging nation brand that stands tall amongst comity of nations, the country’s mission at the expo was unmistakable. Said Ms. Linda Mutesi of the Tourism and Marketing Department of Rwanda’s Development Board:
“We are fast tracking Rwanda’s investment window to promote tourism. As an institution, we are looking at tourism as an emerging market. We want to attract people to Rwanda for holidays and conferences as a destination of choice.”
She added that as a small African nation once notorious for the genocide that claimed many lives, Rwanda is rising above its regrettable past to promote and project its tourism potentials hitherto unknown to the rest of the world. She explained that the small East African country has re-emerged with a green, mountainous landscape, safaris (wild life), volcanoes, national parks which are homes to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys with ancient rainforest that’s a habitat for chimpanzees and other primates.
But while these nations took prominent stands to tell their stories in varied exciting ways with advanced technology being deployed to showcase their tourism, business and investment potentials as an alternative income streams for these nations, Nigeria was at the time battling with image problem.
However, some of the participants at the fair believed that there was so much for the country to gain by participating in such expo Nigeria. With its rebranding project tagline as ‘Good People, Great Nation, which many have criticised, stakeholders were of the belief that there is huge lesson on branding and tourism for Nigeria to learn at such global events. According to one of the organisers of the expo, Andy Adogan, “Nigeria and other African nations are going to benefit a lot from this expo. The travel industry is innovating; the world is getting smaller. Technology is helping the industry and a lot more cities are coming together thanks to technology.”
Besides supporting the view that Africa has so much to gain at such expos, a Business Development Consultant with Global Innovations, a travel company, Sheikh Mohammed Sajid, averred that technology is changing the trend of travel tourism as many travellers and their suppliers want to go online for their travel arrangements. Speaking specifically about Africa and Nigeria in particular, Sajid noted that the ATM provides good potentials for African market. This is more so given the number of Nigerian travellers to that part of the world. His words:
“Dubai was full of sand and a lot of aspirations and hope. They have turned this once desert country into the most beautiful and fastest growing city in the world with about 180 nationals living in it. Africa is full of hope, aspirations and enthusiasm. If given the chance with the right technology and government strategy towards tourism, it can generate very good revenue for the continent because the kind of wild life Africa has is nowhere else in the world.”
The question now is: will Nigeria rise up to be counted this year at ATM especially given the drop in petro-dollar and the move for alternative income sources to fund government spending? Does Nigeria see a need for lessons on the country’s rebranding.? Does ‘Good People Great Nation’ still tell our stories despite all the nauseating stories that emanate from different parts of the nation’s public lives?