Considering its huge tourism potential, which rivals some top destinations on the continent, Gabon is intensifying efforts at marketing its destination to the world starting with its African neighbours.
The oil-rich Central African country is stepping up its tourism promotion and campaign at both local and international platforms. One of such platforms is the recently-concluded Akwaaba African Travel Market, the largest travel expo in West Africa.
At the travel expo, which was held in Lagos in September, Gabon participated alongside Cameroon, another Central African country, while showcasing its rich wildlife, nature and cultural attractions to the international market.
The country also used the platform to seek improved exchanges between Nigeria and Gabon. Recognising Nigeria as a source market, the country engaged the Nigerian travel public, offering them reasons to visit for tourism, leisure and cultural experiences.
According to Grace Ntahinta Mboumba, chief executive officer, Gabon Highlights Tourism and Beyond Africa Travel Highlights, the participation at the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market was intentional and to help in creating awareness of Gabon’s tourism potential, noting that many African travellers, especially Nigerians, were still unaware of the experiences the country offers.
Mboumba, who is also the convener of the Gabon International Expo, explained that Gabon from alluring beaches, virgin forests, enthralling wildlife to exciting cultural experiences, the Central African destination offers varieties to potential visitors.
“We have a wide range of wildlife and natural attractions, including lowland gorillas, leatherback sea turtles, mandrills, hippos, forest elephants, mangroves, savannahs and vast rainforest ecosystems,” Mboumba said.
The country’s rich cultural diversity, according to her, is another attraction as numerous ethnic groups and traditions are yet to receive adequate international exposure. “Our culture is so rich. We have so many tribes that coexist peaceful,” she said.
Explaining the rationale for participating in the Nigerian travel expo, for the first time, Mboumba noted that Gabon has enormous tourism attractions, but less heard of and seen by the world. Hence, the need to create awareness for the attractions and to promote the destination outside the country, drove her to Nigeria to meet and engage potential travellers. “We came to Nigeria to participate in Akwaaba for the first time in order to create awareness of Gabon and what it has to offer,” she said.
The country is also seeking real partnerships in West Africa, starting with Nigeria, hence the expectations from the travel market went beyond visibility as the ultimate goal was to establish practical business partnerships between Gabon, Nigeria and other participating countries at the fair.
Meanwhile, Gabon is counting gains as the Lagos expo provided opportunities to engage potential partners across different areas of the tourism and business value chain. Mboumba was more excited with the impact and also hopeful that even unrelated encounters at the event could develop into commercial opportunities.
“I met so many people in every possible field across the three days of the expo. There was a food vendor I met and we are partnering him to become a distributor in Gabon,” she enthused. For access, she noted that Gabon is more accessible now especially as Air Peace, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, ASKY, Fly Gabon and Air France among other airlines are boosting connectivity to Gabon from different markets. “Gabon is increasingly connected to Nigeria and other African and international markets now than in the past,” she said.
Air Peace, a Nigerian carrier, is strengthening its presence in Gabon, while Fly Gabon is increasingly connecting Libreville, Gabon’s capital city, with destinations across the region. “I arrived in Lagos through Fly Gabon. The airline also operates to other destinations like Cameroon, Cotonou and Equatorial Guinea”.
Apart from more air access, she noted that Gabon parades accommodation offerings that cater to all budgets, long and short stays, and for luxury and business guests.
Beyond its accommodation, Gabon also hosts many exciting cultural and tourism events across the year, which offer visitors opportunities to experience the country’s traditions beyond its wildlife attractions.
She insisted that Gabon is open to African visitors, and also ready to partner with Nigerian tour operators and other tourism industry stakeholders to boost not just tourist arrivals in Gabon but also intra-African tourism on a larger scale.
