By Anthony Nwachukwu
The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has confirmed plans to participate as a registered exhibitor at the November 5th to 7th 2024 World Travel Market (WTM) with an innovative hashtag, #I will be at WTM, to capture its massive membership presence and marketing reach.
The beautiful electronic flyer from the NANTA Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Adelola Adewole, signifies the intent of the association leadership to maximise the full potential of digital technology in marketing communications.
NANTA members who have registered and confirmed participation are encouraged to further escalate their brand and organisational skills through the electronic flyer embossed with the WTM logo indicating NANTA registered pavilion for easy location for trade enquiries and information about Nigeria’s cultural tourism products and offerings.
The association, apart from the #I will be at WTM, will weekly unveil additional hashtags to drive robust digital marketing presence and reach, targeting foreign trade opportunities interested in Nigeria’s cultural tourism market.
It will tag global tourism groups and tourism platforms, thus saturating global media space with NANTA’s exponential hunt for corporate communities and individuals looking for creative marketing links and ready markets on search engines.
Meanwhile, on its WTM delegates platform, about 100 members of the association with visas and confirmed hotel bookings have embraced the NANTA/WTM hashtag train with their pictures and agency’s identity.
Flaunting their Facebook, Instagram and other social media handles, they deliberately tag their vast local and international contacts, which has endeared the association to the Reeds Exhibition, organisers of the biggest global tourism trade event.
The Reeds Exhibition organisation has urged participating individuals, trade groups and exhibiting nations to the November 2024 event slated for London to invite friends and associates to join the happy world of cultural tourism to mingle, buy offering packages and share experiences from diverse cultures and peoples from over 100 countries.
President of NANTA, Yinka Folami, said the association’s commitment to Nigeria’s cultural tourism promotion is unquestionable and a selfless determination to put Nigeria first before personal or group gain.
“I have heard about people questioning our intentional patriotic efforts, and my answer is that we as Nigerians must support our country and people before we can be taken seriously,” Folami stated.
“Many years ago, most of our NANTA icons were invited by foreign airlines all-expense paid to come to WTM and understudy how to leverage the opportunities and contacts at the trade event to help sell Nigeria to the world.
“Those were the good old days when our principals were more Nigeria-centric, but things have changed, and we in NANTA must take the initiative to revive and sustain the presence of Nigerian cultural tourism beyond our shores.”
The immediate past president of the association, Susan Akporiaye, who drove the NANTA/WTM mission during her tenure as a deliverable tailwind string of economic gain for members, expressed happiness at their participation this year for the third time, which promises to be bigger and better.
According to her, “it’s a revolution, and we are happy for the massive interest and support from our members. We are also happy to have awakened the consciousness of Nigerians to the need to put our country above our anxieties and worries.
“We are not in competition with our country or any trade groups; I believe someone or a group should show the way when things are down and NANTA has burnt candles, made huge sacrifices and shown absolute patriotism and pride in what is ours, our culture and creative economy.”
Interestingly, NANTA’s 1st National Deputy President, Mrs. Chinyere Umeasiegbu, who is coordinating the groundswell participation of members at WTM, disclosed that the number members heading to the global tourism trade event might hit an all-time high of about 200 if those awaiting their visas scale through.
“Marketing Nigeria destination at WTN this year is a game of numbers, and we intend to, as we have always done, to positively bring the world to our exhibition stand,” she stated. “It is a mission of possibilities, and we are determined to lead from the front.
“This is not a jamboree or recreational outing, it is strictly serious business to showcase Nigeria and what we can do and, trust our members, the Nigerian community in the UK has been mobilised to storm our pavilion and support our efforts to make Nigeria a preferred destination.”
