November 27, (THEWILL) –Â The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), in collaboration with CMD Tourism and Trade Enterprises, on Saturday, hosted a culinary tourism food festival in Abuja.
Indigenous foods from Nigeria and 15 other countries were showcased and freely sampled by the public at the event, which was held at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
With the theme, “Around the World in a Day,” diplomatic community in Nigeria that showcased at the 2023 Food Tour included Cameroun, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malaysia, Philippines, Burkina Faso, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Egypt, Botswana, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
The Director General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Kangiwa, represented by Dr. Taiwo Famogbiyele, welcomed participants at the CMD food festival and remarked that “following the success of the 3rd NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival held in June 2023 at the Abuja International Conference Centre, among others, NIHOTOUR is collaborating with CMD Tourism and Trade Enterprises to host the 5th edition of the CMD FoodTour to create new opportunities for Nigerian tourism destination, enhance our market presence, and expand Nigeria’s reach in the global gastronomy tourism industry.”
The DG concluded: “We see the partnership with CMD Tourism and Trade Enterprises as a consolidation of NIHOTOUR’s efforts in positioning Nigeria as a leading gastronomy tourism destination in Africa. More so, as a training institute saddled with the capacity development of tourism personnel in the industry, our partnership with CMD Tourism, and indeed with other stakeholders in the industry, is aimed at improving the sector-specific knowledge and Nigeria’s capacity of hosting signature Food Festivals that depict our traditions, cultures, and diversity of our hospitality offerings.”
To this end, the Chief Executive Officer of CMD Tourism and Trade Enterprises, Ms. Cecile Doumbe, enthused that “this 5th edition is a fulfilment of our commitment to Nigerian and international food tourism events hosted in Abuja Nigeria. For us, this Food Tour hinges on Nigerian tourism development discussions. The fact is, CMD Food Tour is driven by Tourism Sustainability, Responsibility and Inclusiveness for all. The CMD Food Tour avails Nigerians and foreign residents in Nigeria the opportunity to engage and explore other culinary cultures without physically travelling.”
When asked about the impact of the 5th CMD Food Tour, the Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire, Ambassador Traiore, revealed that the Embassy was partnering with NIHOTOUR and CMD for the promotion of African gastronomy, particularly the Ivorian gastronomy, here in Nigeria, adding that “beyond food, our participation in this event is to strengthen ties of fraternity and to promote regional tourism development.”
The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism is a parastatal of the Federal Government of Nigeria empowered to train, certify and register all personnel in Nigeria’s travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors. The Institute has 12 campuses located in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
