Charles Ajunwa

The President of Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Mrs. Bolaji Mustapha, has called on Beninese operators in tourism, travel and hospitality industry to bring tourists from Benin to Nigeria, saying Nigeria is rich in tourism products and one of the safest tourists’ destinations in the world.  

Mustapha made this call during a cocktail organised for 20 NATOP members who were on a three-day farm trip to Benin, held at Benin Royal Hotel, Cotonou, Benin.

The three-day farm trip put together by NATOP and Consortium Tourism by Millions of Benin (CTMB) in collaboration with Azalai Hotel and Benin Royal Hotel, was part of efforts at deepening the relationship between Nigerian tour operators and their Beninese counterparts.  

The NATOP boss said the “historical farm trip to Benin, is an initiative to boost tourism within the West African Coast. 

“We need to burn the barriers against tourism. And we need to target Summer in Africa instead of going to Europe, America and Asia,” adding that the farm trip would help both countries to explore packaging strategies and deepen their understanding of local tourism destinations. 

“The essence of farm trip is to know well about the products you want to sell, not just selling on the phone.

“You need to experience what you want to give to others,” Mustapha added. 

She appreciated the President of CTMB and owner of Benin Royal Hotel, Mr. Dine Bouraima, co-founder and Managing Director of GOTA International Group, a travel and tourism company, Dr. Olanma Ojukwu, Hotel Manager, Azalai Hotel, Cotonou, Mariam Posset, and others who made the farm trip a huge success. 

CTMB President, Bouraima, in his welcome address, said he wanted to start something big with Nigeria, assuring tour operators of his commitment to ensuring that tourism within Africa, especially West Africa gets a big boost through partnerships and collaborations. 

On collaboration between both countries, Bouraima said, “We need Nigeria. We want relationship good for Nigeria, and good for Benin.

“Come to Benin. It’s safe. We have many hotels in Benin. We have something in both countries.”

Cleopatre Kougniazinde, the tourism consultant to the Beninese government, said though Benin is a small country in terms of size,  but is key in authenticity, culture, history and others.

According to Kougniazinde, “In life you need to find balance. So God decided to give us this small land because we are too great in terms of men and women that build this country.

“When you look at the shape on the map, we are key to authenticity. We are a key to culture.

We are a key to history. And to everything that you can find in a country. So what we are trying to look at this for the past 10 years. Benin has had this opportunity to have our current president, who has decided as one of the major moves to identify one of the development priority sectors as tourism. And so we have been working in order to make Benin an even greater experience for people to come regardless of what you like. Whether it’s culture, whether it’s history, whether it’s just chilling out or whether it’s just coming to see people coming and going and enjoying yourself and relaxing.”

Kougniazinde, the CEO of TOURA, a tourism company, added, “We are working on our identity. We are taking ownership of our identity for us, first of all, as a community. And then, to allow people to understand the heritage. Because if Africans don’t start telling the story themselves, we’re never going to get these rights back to their people. So this was something that the government really took to heart and decided to work on that.” 

“To understand those perspectives and to figure out what’s happening today, in order to connect ourselves into another world. We have all kinds of options, the government is working to build museums, technologies, cultural arts centres. Kudu is now a lovely town where you can tour. We have our lovely Amazon statue, number two in Africa, the largest. We have Yogyakarta, number three. And we have our amazing graffiti wall,” she stated. 

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