By Annabel Bonney
Africa has long been a victim of lazy storytelling and whitewashing.
Poverty, insurgency, insecurity, disease outbreaks, corruption—those are the narratives that dominate the global media when it comes to our continent. Nigeria, in particular, has taken more than its fair share of blows. But there is one underrated force that can flip the script and shift the world’s perception: TOURISM!
Tourism isn’t just about vacations and adventure. It’s about stories. Embracing Culture and Identity. It’s about reclaiming the narrative from people who never truly understood it to begin with. It’s about telling our own story. And when wielded intentionally, tourism can become one of our most powerful tools for rewriting how the world sees us—and even how we see ourselves.
Why Stereotypes Exist
Let’s not sugarcoat it: some of the stereotypes that cling to Nigeria and Africa are rooted in real issues. But the problem is that these issues are only part of the story—yet they’re treated as the whole story.
The West often presents Africa as one-dimensional. Rarely do you see our innovation, our tech hubs, our artists, our resilient youth, our vibrant cities, or the richness of our languages and traditions. That lack of balance is what makes tourism so powerful: it introduces nuance.
Tourism As a Tool for Rebranding
When someone visits Calabar for the first time and sees the precision of the masquerades, or walks through the historic slave route in Badagry, or watches the sunrise on the Obudu Mountain Resort—they leave with a different version of Nigeria in their mind.
Multiply that by a thousand people, and soon a new narrative begins to form.
Tourism allows people to:
- Witness everyday beauty
- Interact with local communities
- Learn about culture through lived experience
- Share honest stories that challenge stereotypes
- Have a sense of pride as a local
Empowering Local Influencers
We don’t need outsiders to tell our story anymore. We have tourism influencers, travel vloggers, culture bloggers, and digital storytellers who are already doing the work. What they need is support—and amplification.
When local creators visit lesser-known destinations and document them from a position of pride, they are doing the work of a national rebrand. Whether it’s showcasing the food scene in Makurdi or the coastal vibe of Ibeno Beach, these narratives matter.
Fixing the Messaging
To truly change perceptions and narratives, we need to fix how we package tourism. Too often, African tourism is marketed through a Western lens: safaris, wild animals, “exotic” villages. We need to shift that.
Let’s promote:
- Urban tourism: Lagos nightlife and affluence, Port Harcourt food culture, Cross River’s hospitality, Abuja art scenes
- Historical tourism: Benin Kingdom, Nok culture, National Museum Lagos, Eyo festival, Oyo empire
- Adventure tourism: Awhum Caves, Erin Ijesha Waterfalls, Zuma Rock, Obudu hills, ekiti landscapes, Yankari reserves.
- Cultural tourism: Festivals in Oyo, Tiv traditional dances, Igbo New Yam Festivals, Calabar carnival, Ugep new yam festival, Usen efik, Epe festival
- Spiritual tourism: unknown to Nigeria there is a vast number of Brazilians and African Americans who worship ifa and orishas, they want to return and experience these things in person.
Social Media as a Battlefield
We must use social media intentionally. Every Instagram post, tweet, and YouTube vlog that showcases a positive side of Nigeria and Africa chips away at global bias.
Instead of trending only during crises, we should be trending for:
- Unique traditions, heritage and culture
- Local innovations and cutting-edge brilliance
- Cultural & historical preservation
- Real stories from real people
Invest in National Pride
Changing the global narrative starts at home. Nigerians and Africans must see tourism not as leisure for the rich, but as a shared cultural responsibility. We need to:
- Integrate tourism education in schools
- Encourage internal travel among citizens
- Celebrate tourism entrepreneurs
- Value our own cultural identity
- Educate & sensitize citizens to stop ranting bad about the country
- Allow the laws work, Prosecute people who pilfer tourist sites when there’s a dialogue of national interests
When we believe in our own value, it becomes easier to demand respect from the outside world.
Tourism Is an Economic and Cultural Asset
Beyond perception, tourism is good business. It boosts GDP, creates jobs, in 2023 world travel and tourism council (#WTTC) recorded that tourism was the highest recruiter of labour in Africa, employing 22 million people across board. Finally, tourism strengthens communities, most importantly, it preserves our heritage and gives us ownership of our story, our identity.
Let us not waste that power.
Final Thoughts
Africa doesn’t need a pity party. We need visibility. And dignity. And truth.
Tourism gives us that. But it must be intentional, inclusive, and Authentic. We can use it to challenge lazy narratives, amplify our beauty, and show the world that Africa is not a monolith.
Nigeria is not a footnote in someone else’s adventure story. We are the headline.
It’s time we started acting like it. Owning the narrative, Our narrative, Our story..
Ready to Be Part of the Story?
Africa doesn’t need saving—it needs seeing for what it really is. And that starts with you.
At Travel Africa, we create intentional, immersive experiences that let you explore Nigeria and the continent through an authentic lens—our own lens. From ancestral heritage trails in Badagry to urban art tours in Abuja, our trips aren’t just vacations—they’re an experience.
Explore Africa with us. Share in real stories. Start a conversation at booktravelafrica@gmail.com or see listed experiences on www.travelafrica.com
It’s not just tourism. It’s storytelling. It’s rebranding. It’s Africa—told by Africans.
