August 20, (THEWILL) – CMD Tourism & Trade Enterprises Limited and the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) invite tourism stakeholders and exhibitors across continents for the highly-anticipated 5th edition of the ‘CMD Food Tour,’ billed for November 25, 2023.
CMD Tourism & Trade Enterprises Limited and the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) have confirmed the date for the highly-anticipated 5th edition of the ‘CMD Food Tour’.
The event, scheduled to hold on November 25, 2023, in Abuja, is expected to gather exhibitors from Cote D’Ivoire, Malaysia, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, and Morocco.
The food expo comes on the heels of the recently-concluded NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival, which was held on June 16, 2023, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Organisers of the CMD Food Tour further confirmed active collaboration with NIHOTOUR for this year’s edition themed; ‘Around the World In A Day.’
According to CMD Tourism & Trade Enterprises Limited, the 5th edition of the international foods and beverages exhibition and tourism destination promotion event in Abuja, ‘will be special in so many ways.’
CMD disclosed that there will be food exhibitions and workshops for local produce farmers and inbound tour operators, adding that participants will gain new business insights, network, and synergize with international travel brands.
Managing Director of CMD Tourism & Trade Enterprises Limited, Ms. Mambo Cecile, while recounting the history of the food exhibition, expressed excitement over collaboration with NIHOTOUR for the 5th edition of the event.
“The CMD Food Tour idea came during COVID. We wanted to give the stakeholders the opportunity to showcase their tourism attractions and most especially, their culture; to promote cultural exchange and experience a deeper sense of acceptance and inclusion; to make the tourism product offerings better while preserving the heritage and authenticity of destinations.
“The event started in 2021. At that time, we limited it to the West African Food Tour, but with the feedback from participants, we went ahead and did the CMD Caribbean Food Tour in 2022. We also did CMD East Africa Food Tour earlier in 2023 and eventually, we did the 4th edition, which was a food journey through Africa, the Caribbean, and the Silk Road. We are excited that NIHOTOUR is collaborating with us in this 5th edition of the CMD Food Tour,” she said.
Speaking further, she said, “Already, seven countries, through their Embassies in Nigeria, have confirmed their participation, including Côte d’Ivoire, Malaysia, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, and Morocco.”
On his part, Director General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Kangiwa, confirmed the institute’s collaboration with CMD Tourism & Trade Enterprises for the food tour, just as he reiterated his agency’s commitment towards promoting and developing “Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sectors.”
According to Kangiwa, the doors of NIHOTOUR remain “open to partnerships in the industry. Collaborating with tourism event conveners and stakeholders is within our purview and, in fact, is our responsibility. This is not the first time we will be collaborating to host such food and travel events.
“NIHOTOUR is established to provide improved personnel know-how and other technical capacity for the development of Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sectors. Our doors are open to partnerships in the industry.”
The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) is renowned for hosting its annual NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival in Abuja, as well as its ‘NaijaFoods’ exhibitions around Nigeria and West Africa.
NIHOTOUR, now under the newly-created Ministry of Tourism, is established to train, certify and register all professionals in Nigeria’s travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors. It presently has 10 campuses across the country and provides hands-on training and upskilling programmes at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
