Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi will headline the 2025 Domestic Tourism Conference, set for September 5 and 6 in Enugu.

Chief Ben  FCA, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Jands Travel Business School (JTBS), the event’s organiser, announced this after inaugurating the planning committee in Enugu.

He told journalists that the idea of the event is to promote tourism in the Southeast geo-political zone and Nigeria at large, pointing out that the theme of the conference is apt and timely.

“The conference coming up in September will be a huge success, bigger than that of last year,” he stated.

Also speaking, Monsignor Professor Obiora Ike, Pro- Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of University of Jos and a Professor of Ethics and Intercultural Studies at Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu and the Jands Board of Trustees Advisor, said that the conference is in line with the Jands efforts in repositioning tourism as a tool for economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and youth development.

Mosignor Professor Ike who is also the founder of the Catholic Institute for Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP), inuagurated the conference committee held at Ofu Obi Africa Centre, Enugu on Saturday.

Earlier, Mrs. Chioma Obi,
Director, Jands Travel Business School, briefed members of the Board of Trustees on the planning and progress on the forthcoming conference.

Mrs Obi noted that the highly anticipated event will bring together key stakeholders from across Nigeria and beyond, to engage in conversations and actions that deepen the appreciation, investment and structure of domestic tourism in our country.

She disclosed that the theme of this year’s conference is, “The Future of Domestic Tourism in Nigeria: Celebrating Our Arts and Culture”, stressing that the theme was chosen to focus on deepening cultural tourism and positioning Nigeria’s rich artistic heritage and local experiences as core drivers of travel and entrepreneurship across communities.

According to her, “Objectives of the 2025 Conference are to promote domestic tourism as a sustainable economic driver for youth and women as well as provide a platform for policy engagement, creative industry synergy, and destination branding.”

Others, she stated, are to showcase cultural assets, indigenous cuisines, and creative expressions from across Nigeria.

“To provide industry-focused training and masterclasses for emerging tourism entrepreneurs.

“To encourage investment in local tourism ventures through partnerships and exposure.

Mrs Obi further said that among the key speakers and top dignitaries expected at the event are: Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Mr. Peter Obi CON, Chief Ben Etiaba FCA – Board Chairman JTBS, Monsignor Prof. Obiora Ike, Founder, CIDJAP, Dr. Gabe Onah – Chairman Calabar Carnival, Dame Elizabeth Oyibo Agu – Rtd Director, Pioneer Branch Controller, CBN, Asaba, Engr Emeka Sibeudu – Secretary General, Ohaneze Ndigbo.

Also expected are a host of other firebrand Panelists and Masterclass Speakers.

“We are confident that the 2025 edition of the Domestic Tourism Conference will elevate the brand and impact of JTBS, reinforce its leadership in tourism education, and catalyze opportunities for youth, culture, and regional growth”, she said.

The JTBS Director also reviewed the 2024 Domestic Tourism Conference, whose theme was: “Exploring Synergies to Boost Business and Entrepreneurship through Domestic Tourism”.

She recalled that the conference which was held at ECCIMA Secretariat in Enugu was a groundbreaking success.

“Over 300 participants, including tour operators, travel consultants, students, creatives, and policymakers were in attendance. Panel sessions, a Palmwine Tasting Competition, Local Cuisine Display, and a guided tour of Enugu. We had collaborators NANTA, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, and several local brands.

“The conference sparked interest in community tourism development and inspired 15+ new tour startup ideas. It also created a good measure of awareness for Jands Travel Business School. This set the stage for a bigger and more impactful 2025 edition, “she remarked.

On Jands Travel Business School, Mrs Obi recalled that it was conceived out of a long-standing vision to bridge the professional knowledge gap in Nigeria’s fast-growing but under-skilled travel, tourism, and hospitality sector.

“Officially launched in 2023, the school began as a series of training sessions and short-term programs offered to aspiring travel consultants and tour operators in Enugu and its environs.

“Our work gained momentum during the post-COVID tourism recovery period, where we provided accessible training for both start-ups and existing practitioners eager to realign with international best practices and ethics of the profession. From then until now, the school has gradually evolved into a recognized capacity-building hub for tourism entrepreneurship, travel agency operations, digital tourism marketing, and destination management.

She explained that the vision and mission of the school are to be the power house of travel, tourism and hospitality industry knowledge and skills acquisition in the south-eastern Nigeria and the nation as a whole.

“We are on a mission to be a training institute that will produce travel professionals who will be bonded and powerful enough to give the sector the needed voice, as well as grow the industry to be the driving economic force in Nigeria.

“JTBS is anchored on the following objectives:

To equip young Nigerians with hands-on skills in travel operations, tour packaging, hospitality business, and tourism marketing.

To promote ethical and sustainable practices in the Nigerian tourism industry.

To foster entrepreneurship and job creation through tourism-based enterprise development.

To create a platform for collaboration between the public and private sectors in tourism capacity building.

“Services and Programs
Our core services are enclosed around Trainings, Mentorship & Advisory. Currently, we offer:
Certificate and Diploma Programs in Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Short Courses in Ticketing, Reservations, Tour Packaging, and Visa Consulting Corporate Training for Travel Agencies and Hospitality Businesses Internship and Job Placement Services
Digital Travel and Tourism Innovations Training Consulting Services for Tourism Development Tourism related programs, seminars, workshops, and conferences.