-
FTAN South-East sets a six-month target for a tourism circuit linking the five states.
-
Chief Ben Etiaba urges the region to turn its tourism potential into businesses, jobs and investment.
-
Security and investor confidence identified as major barriers to tourism investment in the South-East.
September 12, (THEWILL) – The South-East Zonal Council of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has set a six-month target to develop a unified tourism circuit linking Enugu, Anambra, Abia, and Imo states.
Vice President, South-East Zone and Chairman of the Zonal Executive Council, Wilson Uche Ugwu, disclosed this on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at the inauguration of the council in Enugu.
Ugwu said the plan was to move the region beyond years of discussions about its tourism potential and towards measurable growth in visitor numbers, investment, jobs, and revenue.
He said stakeholder consultations and destination mapping would begin immediately, focusing on major attractions, priority routes, infrastructure gaps, investment opportunities, and potential partners.
The council is pursuing the vision of “One Region. One Voice. One Tourism Vision,” with plans to present the five states as one connected tourism market.
The plan is in line with the call by the keynote speaker, Chief Ben Etiaba, FCA, for the region to move beyond identifying its tourism potential and focus on turning its attractions into viable businesses and experiences.
Speaking on “Reimagining South-East Tourism: From Potential to Prosperity”, Etiaba said the region had no shortage of attractions, but needed to do more to turn its culture, festivals, food, history, landscapes and creativity into tourism products that could generate income and jobs.
He called for greater cooperation among the five states through regional tourism circuits, joint destination marketing, and coordinated festival promotion, saying this would give visitors more reasons to explore the region.
“Our greatest competitive advantage may ultimately be our ability to collaborate”, he said.
READ ALSO:
Ugwu identified insecurity and lack of investor confidence as major challenges to tourism investment in the region, alongside infrastructure, policy, and destination-management gaps.
He said FTAN would engage governments and private-sector stakeholders on safer tourism corridors, improved infrastructure, and partnerships to attract investment and visitors.
The council also plans to establish a unified digital tourism platform featuring verified information on attractions, hotels, tour operators, and tourism experiences across the five states.
Etiaba stressed the importance of digital visibility, noting that destinations that are difficult to find online risk being overlooked by potential visitors.
He urged the new council to prioritise regional connectivity, tourism product development, digital visibility, investment, and the inclusion of young people and host communities.
Ugwu said the council’s performance should ultimately be measured by what changes on the ground, including increased visitor numbers, tourism spending, investment, and jobs.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
