Lagos, Canadian envoy seek stronger tourism promotion

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The Lagos State Government and the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner, Carlos Rojas-Arbulú, have called for improved packaging and promotion of tourism in Lagos to attract more competitive destinations for local and international visitors.

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They made the call at a meeting with tourism stakeholders from the local governments and grassroots, tagged “Experience The Best of Lagos”, according to a statement on Thursday from the office of the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe.

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Speaking at the event, Aregbe said Lagos was determined to unlock the tourism potential of its communities. He urged officials at the council level to take greater responsibility for identifying and promoting tourism attractions within their jurisdictions.

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He stressed that many valuable destinations remained largely unknown even to residents. “My mandate is to ensure that tourism is boosted in Lagos to become the best. We need to continue to create a better environment in the tourism, art, and culture sector,” he said.

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He said the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas in Lagos could help expose attractions across the state to a wider audience.

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According to him, tourism destinations may be located within individual councils, making the active participation and ownership of the councils critical to their development and promotion.

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“You are the keys to the door of tourism in your councils,” Aregbe told the stakeholders.

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He, however, said the state needed to do more to convert the growing interest into sustainable, year-round tourism.

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He said, “We need to make the 2026 ember season the beginning of a massive turnaround in the country, particularly Lagos tourism. We must be able to hold the tourists and give them an unforgettable experience that will make them either spend more days than expected or tick Lagos for their next tourism destination for the next season.”

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On his part, the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner, Rojas-Arbulú, said Lagos had tourism value that could be converted into economic opportunities if properly presented to international visitors.

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According to Rojas-Arbulú, many things that residents considered ordinary could represent unique and valuable experiences to international visitors.

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He identified value, structure and narrative as three critical elements needed to strengthen Lagos’ tourism offering.

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“It’s understanding that you hold value; you have to find a way to package it in a way that speaks to that international visitor,” he said.

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The Canadian envoy also emphasised the importance of structure and coordination, saying international visitors were more likely to pay for tourism experiences when destinations, transportation and service providers were properly organised.

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