Rivers State marked the 2026 World Tourism Day with a celebration focused on how Artificial Intelligence and digital technology can reshape tourism and promote the state’s cultural attractions.
The event, organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, was held at the Royal Banquet Hall of Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt.
The celebration brought together stakeholders from the tourism, hospitality, entertainment, creative and technology sectors, alongside captains of industry and young innovators.
The global theme for this year’s World Tourism Day was “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” while Rivers adopted the theme, “Providing Innovative Solutions for Tourism Development in Rivers State, Using AI.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Freddy Ndigbara, said technology is changing how people discover and experience tourist destinations, pointing to tools such as personalised travel plans, virtual tours, digital marketing and data-driven tourism planning.
The event also featured a keynote lecture on the global theme, followed by a panel session which examined practical ways AI and digital technology could be used to develop and promote tourism in Rivers State.
Panel members included the CEO of Arts Technical, Julius Daniels; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT, Aleruchi Akani, represented by Reginald Fienemika; and media practitioner Ignatius Chukwu.
A major highlight of the celebration was the recognition of young people through the Secondary Schools Essay Competition and Youth AI Innovative Competition.
Thompson Comfort Samuel of Community Secondary School, Amadi-Ama, emerged winner of the essay competition, while Oliver Chika of Holy Rosary College and Weli Emmanuella of Archdeacon Brown Education Centre took second and third places.
In the Youth AI Technology Competition, Chinonso Odili of Rivers State University emerged winner and received a brand-new laptop. Yvonne Eleraobari, also of Rivers State University, came second and received ₦500,000, while Norbert Ndigbara of the University of Lagos placed third and received ₦300,000.
The celebration also featured goodwill messages from stakeholders in the tourism and creative industries, including Rivers State Tourism Development Agency Director-General Yibo Koko, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria coordinator Iminabo Princewill and Rivers State International Film Festival founder Kate Ezigbo.
The event ultimately brought tourism, culture, entertainment and technology into the same conversation, with stakeholders highlighting digital innovation as a way to make Rivers State’s tourism attractions more visible to audiences within and outside Nigeria.
