…as body holds retreat in Ghana
A delegation from the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) will be in Ghana for a four-day retreat aimed at strengthening tourism ties and pressing for easier movement of people within Africa.
Under the theme “Africa for Africa: Tourism, Unity and Shared Growth”, the visit , organised in partnership with Ghana’s Safari Valley Resort and supported by Ibom Air , seeks to address rising Afrophobia, trade barriers and other obstacles to cultural tourism on the continent.
NANTA President Yinka Folami said the trip reflects long-standing historical and cultural connections between Nigeria and Ghana and is intended to recalibrate cooperation between travel stakeholders in both countries.
“From the intellectual foundations laid by our leaders during the independence movements to decades of cultural tourism exchange, trade and commerce, Nigeria and Ghana have repeatedly chosen partnership and collaboration over division,” he said.
The retreat will also provide a forum for NANTA’s executive council to consider the association’s future direction following its recent Jubilee celebration in Ibadan.
A key priority is advocacy for policies that make intra‑African travel simpler and promote stronger tourism partnerships so that Africans increasingly view neighbouring countries as destinations of opportunity rather than foreign territory, Folami added.
Delegates at the event include travel trade leaders, tourism stakeholders and policy advocates from Nigeria and Ghana, who are expected to develop proposals to ease cross‑border movement and boost cultural exchange.
In a lighter moment during the visit, Folami joked that the delegation’s cooking talent would put Safari Valley on notice for a friendly Jollof Rice competition, underscoring the event’s blend of business and cultural camaraderie.
The retreat is part of a broader push by travel industry groups to encourage intra‑continental tourism as a driver of economic integration and people‑to‑people ties across Africa.