The Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Mr John Atsu, has said that Cross River State will record enormous development in the tourism sector as a result of the enabling arrangements put in place following Nigeria’s participation at the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2026.
Atsu made this declaration at the sidelines of the WTM exhibition, which held from November 3 to 5, 2026, at Excel London, alongside the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr Olayiwola Awakan and other key stakeholders in the tourism sector.
The Cross River Tourism Bureau boss was also engaged in a side event with the DG of NTDA to explore ways to develop and expand the tourism potentials of the state. The meeting, which formed part of Nigeria’s historic return to the global travel trade show after over a decade of inconsistent presence, was aimed at leveraging the global platform to boost Nigeria’s tourism visibility.
Among the several discussions held were concrete ways to strengthen ties with the Federal Government towards growing and improving the ‘Destination Cross River’ brand. Both parties agreed to collaborate more robustly within the shortest possible time frame to drive investment, promotion and infrastructure development for the state.
“I am excited that Cross River State is internationally recognised on the global stage for its tourism potentials. We are at that point of the year again where the world talks about Calabar and Cross River State in general and that is as a result of the deliberate efforts of His Excellency, Governor Bassey Otu and his interest in seeing the state blossom,” Atsu said.
According to Atsu, the NTDA Director-General is focused on a working visit to Cross River State, Nigeria’s premier tourism destination, to move things forward quickly.
At WTM London 2026, NTDA led Nigeria’s participation with a dedicated Nigeria Pavilion, where Awakan, who is fondly called the “Drummer DG”, thrilled visitors with a talking drum spectacle to showcase Nigerian culture. The Authority and CRS Tourism MD also held back-to-back meetings with international tour operators, airlines, hotel groups and investors, pitching Nigeria’s MICE, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, beach tourism and creative economy as bankable opportunities.
The NTDA’s outing was commended by the President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Dr Yinka Folami, who described it as ‘historic and dignified’, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had commended Awakan for his immersive storytelling, collaboration and innovation in his first year in office.
Atsu expressed optimism that the renewed synergy between the Cross River State Tourism Bureau and NTDA, following the London engagements, would position Cross River State to attract global attention and investment ahead of its peak tourism season.
