NANTA and Ghana's Safari Valley Forge Historic Retreat to Break Barriers to Intra-African Tourism
A powerful new signal is emerging from West Africa about the future of intra-continental tourism, and it deserves the attention of every travel professional watching the continent's integration story unfold. The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), in partnership with Ghana's Safari Valley Resort and supported by Ibom Air, is preparing to host a four-day retreat in Ghana aimed at promoting intra-African tourism, strengthening regional cooperation, and confronting the persistent barriers that limit travel across the continent, including xenophobia and outdated regulatory obstacles.
The retreat has been designed around the compelling theme "Africa for Africa: Tourism, Unity and Shared Growth," and will bring together travel industry leaders, tourism stakeholders, and policy advocates from both nations. Delegates will explore practical strategies for making cross-border travel easier while fostering deeper cultural and economic ties between African markets. In an era where the continent continues to look inward for new sources of tourism growth, gatherings such as this one carry both symbolic and commercial weight.
NANTA President Yinka Folami anchored the initiative in the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and Ghana, describing the two nations as historic torch-bearers of the Pan-African ideal. He noted that from the intellectual foundations laid during the independence movements to decades of cultural exchange, trade, and commerce, Nigeria and Ghana have consistently chosen partnership and collaboration over division. That legacy, he argued, provides fertile ground for a renewed push toward practical tourism integration in the years ahead.
According to Mr Folami, the retreat goes far beyond ordinary tourism promotion. He described it as a "historic handshake" reinforcing the idea of Africa as one interconnected community, bound together by shared history, culture, enterprise, and people rather than the artificial borders inherited from the colonial era. It is a message that resonates strongly with the aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the ambitions of the Single African Air Transport Market, both of which continue to shape the continent's aviation and tourism policy conversations.
The gathering will also serve as a strategic planning platform for NANTA itself. The association's Executive Council will use the retreat to map out its future direction following recent Golden Jubilee celebrations in Ibadan, which marked fifty years of organised travel agency representation in Nigeria. Discussions will focus on advocating easier movement of people across Africa, cultivating stronger tourism partnerships, and shaping policies that encourage Africans to explore their own continent as a single, coherent tourism destination rather than a fragmented collection of national markets.
The choice of Safari Valley Resort in Ghana as the retreat venue is itself worth noting. The property, located in the Eastern Region of Ghana, has established itself as a premier eco-tourism and MICE destination, offering conference facilities alongside authentic Ghanaian hospitality. Hosting a high-profile Nigerian delegation there reinforces the resort's positioning as a serious contender for regional business events, weddings, retreats, and incentive travel programmes. For Ghanaian tour operators and destination management companies, the retreat should serve as a strong reminder of the untapped potential in cross-border professional gatherings.
Ibom Air's role as the aviation partner also deserves attention. The Uyo-based Nigerian carrier has been quietly expanding its West African footprint and has committed to serving Ghana as part of its regional strategy. By backing this retreat, the airline aligns itself with the broader vision of unified African tourism while reinforcing its position as a serious player on the Lagos-Accra corridor and beyond. Travel professionals should watch closely for further Ibom Air network announcements linking Nigeria with other West and Central African markets in the coming months.
Injecting warmth and personality into the gathering, Mr Folami revealed that the Nigerian delegation will participate in a friendly Jollof Rice contest with their Ghanaian hosts, a light-hearted nod to one of West Africa's most enduring cultural rivalries. He joked that NANTA has brought along a very capable chef and warned Safari Valley to prepare for a spirited competition. Beyond the humour, the moment captures the spirit of the retreat itself, blending serious professional exchange with authentic cultural celebration.
For African travel trade professionals, several practical lessons emerge. First, the retreat model, combining strategic dialogue with cultural immersion, is a powerful tool for deepening cross-border relationships and could easily be replicated between other African trade associations. Second, forward-looking travel agencies should be actively packaging Nigeria-Ghana twin-city itineraries that leverage the shared cultural heritage, culinary traditions, and business opportunities of the two nations. Third, tour operators across sub-Saharan Africa should study how anti-xenophobia advocacy is being embedded into tourism programming, since traveller safety and welcome perceptions increasingly influence destination choice.
The wider takeaway is unmistakable. Sustainable tourism growth on the continent will not come from external markets alone. It will come from Africans travelling within Africa, discovering their neighbours, spending in each other's economies, and building the human bridges that make integration real rather than rhetorical. NANTA's retreat with Ghana is one of those bridges under construction, and travel professionals who align themselves with this vision, through fresh product design, stronger cross-border partnerships, and inclusive marketing, will be best positioned to shape the next chapter of African tourism.
