World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) data put tourism at 3.7% of Nigeria’s GDP in 2023, while Finchglow Travels Managing Director Ezekiel Ikotun told BusinessDay that insecurity deters visitors and agents struggle to obtain dollars.
The figures appear in a World Bank Data360 snapshot, which credits WTTC as their source. The GDP measure includes direct, indirect and induced effects; tourism accounted for 2.9% of employment in 2023. The snapshot also lists 5.26 million international arrivals in 2016 and $0.32 billion in tourism receipts in 2020. Those older figures do not establish current visitor demand.
The World Economic Forum’s 2024 Travel & Tourism Development Index ranked Nigeria 112th among 119 economies overall and 117th on its safety and security pillar. Canada’s government advisory, updated Oct. 21, recommends against non-essential travel to Nigeria because of security risks. It advises travelers in Lagos and Calabar to exercise a high degree of caution.
BusinessDay reported Oct. 25 that Ikotun made his comments at a workshop for travel agents in Port Harcourt. He cited kidnapping and banditry as reasons potential visitors stay away, and said stronger security and more predictable business conditions would help attract tourism investment. “The first thing is insecurity which drives people away,” he said, according to the newspaper.
Ikotun described a foreign-exchange gap for travel agencies: agents have difficulty obtaining dollars while handling airline transactions in that currency. He urged airlines to allow ticket purchases and settlements in naira, BusinessDay reported. He also said better-trained sub-agents could improve service for travelers.
Ethiopian Airlines announced Sept. 17 that it plans to start service to Port Harcourt on Dec. 1, with four flights a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The airline called Port Harcourt its fifth destination in Nigeria. BusinessDay reported the airline previously flew to the city in 2019, making the planned service a return to Port Harcourt.
