The International Coalition of Tourism Partners announced that the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has joined as a Council Board member.  “I feel highly honored for being listed as a Council member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners. I look forward to a mutually beneficial working relationship and making the partnership bigger and better towards engendering a more robust world tourism development,” said Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation.

ICTP President Professor Geoffrey Lipman said: “Nigeria has a huge potential as a both an inbound and outbound tourism market, and ICTP will help them develop this with sustainable green growth as a leading strategy. We will particularly engage to help promote Nigeria as an important center of cultural festivals, celebrating the vibrant national multicultural heritage.”

The Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation has a long history of commitment to and passion for the tourism industry in its country. Organized tourism in Nigeria dates back 50 years when The Nigerian Tourist Association was established in 1962 by a group of private practitioners. It was their aim to project Nigeria’s tourism potentials and encourage domestic and international tourism activities. Within a couple of short years, in 1964, their work led to the admission of Nigeria as a full member of the International Union of Official Travel Organization (IUOTO), now known as the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), along with the establishment of the Nigerian Tourism Board. In 1992, the Nigerian Tourism Board became the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation - the apex tourism agency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The NTDC is responsible today for the overall responsibility of promoting, marketing, and coordinating tourism activities in Nigeria.

The Chairman of ICTP, Juergen T. Steinmetz, said: “The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation was our first destination member from Nigeria, and we could not be more pleased to now upgrade their membership to the Council member level.”