How Nigeria Loses Millions of Dollars to South Africa, Rwanda, Gambia in Global Tourism

For the second year running, Nigeria shunned the just-concluded World Travel Market in London. Funke Olaode, who attended the three-day global event, examines the dire economic implications for the country and how Nigeria loses multimillion-dollars in travels and tourism

Since its debut 36 years ago, the World Travel Market usually organised in London, the United Kingdom, has remained a melting point for 187 countries across the globe to share ideas on how to improve tourism and travel industry –but more important, to deal in multimillion-pound tourism enterprise.

The gigantic exhibition centre situated in Excel, East London, is an avenue that attracts common interests and offers stakeholders the opportunity to keep up with latest insight on travels. In its 36th year, at least 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, business people and top government officials and international press, embark on Excel-London every November to network, negotiate and discover latest opinions and trends on travels enterprise.

With recession facing many countries and the dip in oil prices, not a few countries are exploring their tourism potential as support system to boost their economy.
According to a recent report, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with its famed Abu Dhabi and Dubai sits atop over 93 billion barrel of crude oil. But as it stands today, the country has since put oil aside.

With its less than six million population and a GDP per capital predicted to rise by 22 per cent to just $75 in a few years’ time, Dubai, a city of superlatives, pristine beaches and an interesting mix of indoor and outdoor entertainment, has in the last few years been playing host to thousands of visitors from all over the world.

Owing to factors such as rising incomes, retail real estate expansion and steady inflow of international brands, the UAE tourism offering is set to reach new heights in the years ahead. Dubai’s ambition to become world’s most visited city is obvious. Tourism is an important part of the Dubai government’s strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirate. As of 2013, Dubai was the fourth most visited city of the world based on air traffic and the fastest growing, increasing by a 10.7 per cent. Dubai attracts at least 14 million tourists in 2015. And by the end of 2015, the country’s gross domestic product stood at $340.8 billion Another example of a nation that has shifted focus beyond oil is Turkey.

Turkey is a nation straddling Eastern Europe and Western Asia with cultural connections to ancient Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. Cosmopolitan Istanbul, on the Bosporus Strait, is home to the iconic Hagia Sophia, with its soaring dome and Christian mosaics, the massive 17th-century Blue Mosque and the 1460 Topkapı Palace – former home of sultans. Istanbul welcomes thousands of visitors daily.

During this reporter’s visit to the ancient city, a tour guide at Hagia Sophia Mosque explained that an average 3,000 visitors converge at the iconic site daily at $10 per head. Which means the site makes an average $30,000 per day ($90,000 monthly and $10m yearly). That is only one site. Barbados is the wealthiest and most developed country in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Recently, Barbados celebrates its 50 years of independence. The Island was one of the first European colonies in the Caribbean and broke from British rule on November 30, 1966. The five decades since have seen its tourism industry rise to overtake sugar production as the Island’s major source of income.

However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism with about four-fifths of GDP and of exports being attributed to service. Last year, the country welcomed a record 591,872 visitors – which apparently boosted the nation’s hospitality industry, increased employment and put the number of flights to the country at its height. At the end of 2015, the country has an estimate GDP of $4.412 billion in terms of (purchasing power parity). While the Middle East, the Caribbean and godfathers of destinations such as the UK, the United States, Germany, even South Africa and Kenya have continued to position themselves as tourists’ havens and are raking multimillion dollars, Nigeria seems to be teetering on apathy and lack of ingenuity.

In recent times, Ethiopia, Rwanda Tanzania, Kenya, and The Gambia have demonstrated how lucrative travels and tourism are. For instance, despite its genocide tragedy of 1994, Rwanda is one of most visited countries on the continent of Africa and Gambia – despite being run like a police state – welcomes thousands of tourists. Rwanda Development Board (RDB) in its recent reports said the country generated $304.9 million in 2014 from tourism, compared to $293.6 million in 2013, representing an increase of 4%. These revenues increased from $62 million in 2000.

The Gambia, with population of about 1.849 million as of 2013 and over 30 top tourist attractions receives over 100,000 visitors a year and its tourism industry is the second highest earner of foreign revenue. Tourists mainly come from Europe with package tour operators from UK making up over 50 per cent of visitors; the remaining number of visitors arriving from Germany, Norway, Sweden and other countries. In terms of GDP per capital according to World Bank (2013), the country rakes in $488.57 yearly.

Little wonder, in spite of domestic challenges back home, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have not failed to take advantage of the WTM. The trio marketed themselves as a single destination for the first time at joint stand at this year’s WTM London under the banner, “East African countries opt for joint marketing, Borderless Borders, One Destination.”
The single East Africa Tourist Visa, recently launched, enables travellers to visit Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda under one visa.