In his determination to strategically engage and see that everyone counts in tourism promotion, especially the younger generation, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu has directed that the children’s carnival, aqua show, and the exciting and colorful Night of Kings, and Queens return to the Carnival calendar to create more opportunities for sponsors’ visibility.
Governor Otu, who disclosed this at the ongoing 2023 Akwaaba African Travel Market (AfTM) on Sunday, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos said; “It gives me pleasure to be part of the unbroken staging and exhibition of the 19th Akwaaba Africa Travel Market. Indeed, it is a welcome to all and majorly to the tourism and travel trade players.
“Moving forward, it is the belief of my administration that the Carnival has come of age and should deploy all efforts at sustainability and inclusion to achieve set goals exploring a robust Public Private Partnership framework to achieve mutually beneficial relations in Naming Rights, Endorsements, Sponsorships, Merchandising and Activations.
“It is in the realisation of these waiting opportunities that I have directed that the children’s carnival, aqua show and the exciting and colorful Night of Kings and Queens return to the Carnival Calendar to create more opportunities for sponsors’ visibility.
“I am very pleased that we are here again to share that moment of joy that calabar, cross river state, offers the world as Africa’s warmest welcome. Carnival Calabar” represents the most tangible tourism product in the calendar of events of Cross River State and in Nigeria in general.
“It was and still is a strategic plan for the actualisation of the vision of transforming Cross River State socio-economically through the instrumentality of the performing arts.”
“The carnival exhibits rare colours, costumes, floats, pyrotechnics, magic, acrobatics, etc. through the 12-kilometre carnival route. These are by no means overt expressions of the state and people’s heritage of hospitality and Africa’s warmest welcome.
“Today, we are here to witness another theme unveiling, which stands our carnival out as an intellectual platform to entertain, educate, and inform our public and audiences.
“Carnival Calabar, Africa’s Biggest Street Party has always led the cultural interface and ties with other such great cultural and artistic brands that have evolved distinct identities as Nigeria’s best foot forward in cultural diplomacy and at the same time acting as the pull factor to bring tourists to Cross River State and Nigeria every year.
“May I also thank the band leaders for their creativity to breathe life into the carnival themes in the past and for a job well done,” he added.
. TheWitness