By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
At least 200 tour operators have undergone training on artificial intelligence ( AI) and digital tourism as part of activities to mark the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) 2026 World Tourism Day in Lagos.
The training, held at Ziba Beach Resort, focused on equipping operators with AI-driven tools for tour operations, content creation, destination marketing, and business growth in the sector.
NATOP President Hajia Bolaji Mustapha said the initiative was designed to help operators adapt to the rapid digital transformation of the tourism industry and improve the way Nigerian tourism destinations are marketed.
She said this year's World Tourism Day theme “ Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” is deliberately linked to the association's training of operators.
Mustapha highlighted the need tour operators to embrace emerging technologies while leveraging their industry knowledge to produce credible and compelling stories about Nigerian destinations.
“We are the ones who understand the business and will be able to tell the story better, so that anybody coming to Nigeria will be able to discover Nigeria with the experts,” she said.
NATOP Vice President, South West, Mrs. Wonuola Olatunde-Lamidi, said the training was also aimed at addressing gaps in professional tour operations, particularly in the creation and packaging of tourism products.
According to her, operators could influence travel decisions through strategic destination marketing, urging members to move beyond conventional travel agency services and position themselves as destination managers and promoters.
The World Tourism Day celebration extended beyond Lagos, with NATOP’s FCT and Northern Zone, in collaboration with Naija Adventurers, organizing a tourism awareness walk and hike to the Centre of Nigeria.
In the South-South, members marked the occasion with a destination tour.
Furthermore, activities of the Day reflected NATOP’s broader focus on AI adoption, professional capacity building, destination promotion, and domestic tourism as tools for strengthening Nigeria’s tourism industry.
The association also used the Lagos programme to promote Ziba Beach Resort as a domestic tourism destination. Members toured the resort and assessed its facilities and newly launched third phase for possible inclusion in tour packages.
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