The Jands Travel Business School (JTBS), Enugu, has announced that the 2025 edition of its annual Domestic Tourism Conference will hold in Enugu from September 5–6, 2025. The conference will bring together key players in tourism, policy, academia, and entrepreneurship to reposition domestic tourism in Nigeria.
Chairman of the JTBS Board of Trustees, Chief Ben Etiaba, made this known shortly after inaugurating the conference planning committee. He told journalists that the conference is a strategic effort to promote tourism across the Southeast and the nation at large, emphasizing that this year’s theme is timely and impactful.
“The conference coming up in September will be a huge success, bigger than that of last year,” Etiaba stated confidently.
In his remarks, Monsignor Professor Obiora Ike, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at the University of Jos and Professor of Ethics and Intercultural Studies at Godfrey Okoye University, reiterated the importance of tourism as a tool for economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and youth development. He also inaugurated the planning committee at the Ofu Obi Africa Centre, Enugu.
Earlier, Mrs. Chioma Obi, Director of Jands Travel Business School, briefed the Board of Trustees on the preparations for the upcoming conference. She highlighted the event’s purpose of uniting stakeholders from across the country to deepen appreciation, investment, and structure in Nigeria’s domestic tourism sector.
She revealed that the 2025 conference will focus on the theme: “The Future of Domestic Tourism in Nigeria: Celebrating Our Arts and Culture.” The theme, she said, was chosen to spotlight Nigeria’s rich artistic heritage and community-driven tourism experiences as engines of travel and entrepreneurship.
According to her, the key objectives include:
- Promoting domestic tourism as a sustainable economic driver for youth and women.
- Creating a platform for policy engagement, creative industry synergy, and destination branding.
- Showcasing cultural assets, indigenous cuisines, and creative expressions from across Nigeria.
- Offering masterclasses and training for emerging tourism entrepreneurs.
- Encouraging investment in local tourism ventures through partnerships and exposure.
Notable dignitaries expected at the event include Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, former Governor Peter Obi, Chief Ben Etiaba FCA, Monsignor Prof. Obiora Ike, Dr. Gabe Onah (Chairman, Calabar Carnival), Dame Elizabeth Oyibo Agu (Retired Director, CBN), and Engr. Emeka Sibeudu (Secretary-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo), among other 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,” Mrs. Obi affirmed.
She also recapped the success of the 2024 edition themed “Exploring Synergies to Boost Business and Entrepreneurship through Domestic Tourism,” held at ECCIMA Secretariat, Enugu. The event attracted over 300 participants and featured sessions such as panel discussions, palm wine tasting, a local cuisine display, and a guided Enugu tour. Collaborators included NANTA, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, and local brands.
“The 2024 conference sparked interest in community tourism and inspired over 15 new tour startup ideas. It also created significant awareness for JTBS and set the stage for a more impactful 2025 edition,” she added.
Speaking about the vision behind JTBS, Mrs. Obi explained that the school was born out of a need to close the professional knowledge gap in Nigeria’s fast-growing but under-skilled tourism, travel, and hospitality sector.
“Officially launched in 2023, the school started with short-term programs for aspiring travel consultants and tour operators, especially during the post-COVID tourism recovery period. Today, we are a recognized hub for capacity-building in tourism entrepreneurship, travel operations, digital marketing, and destination management,” she said.
She outlined the vision and mission of JTBS as follows: “To become the powerhouse of travel, tourism, and hospitality industry knowledge in southeastern Nigeria and the nation at large, and to produce skilled professionals capable of elevating the sector as a driving economic force in Nigeria.”
The school’s core objectives include:
- Equipping young Nigerians with practical travel and tourism skills.
- Promoting ethical and sustainable practices.
- Fostering tourism-based enterprise development.
- Creating collaboration platforms for public-private sector partnerships in tourism.
JTBS currently offers certificate and diploma programs in tourism, short courses in ticketing and tour packaging, corporate training, job placement services, and tourism innovation consulting.
The 2025 Domestic Tourism Conference promises to be a landmark event in advancing tourism education and industry growth in Nigeria.
