Global tourism strategist and Chief Executive Officer of Fura Collective, Stella Fubara, has called for a more strategic and collaborative approach to tourism development in Nigeria, stressing that destinations must be deliberately built through culture, storytelling, infrastructure, and targeted audience engagement.
Fubara spoke during her keynote session on the second day of the Africa Legacy Summit held at Eko Hotels & Suites in Lagos, where tourism stakeholders, hospitality operators, policymakers, investors, and young professionals gathered to discuss the future of tourism and hospitality in Africa as part of activities marking the hotel’s 50th anniversary.
Addressing young participants at the summit, Fubara said tourism extends beyond hotels and travel, describing the sector as an ecosystem that connects transportation, entertainment, healthcare, infrastructure, and culture.
According to her, countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia successfully transformed their economies by intentionally developing tourism as a major economic driver.
“Tourism is every part of the economy,” she said. “They knew that in order to build their country, to build their city, they needed people to come in. And when you need people to come in, you have to give them a reason.”
Fubara noted that destinations cannot thrive without clear identity and consistent global narratives, arguing that many Nigerian tourism assets remain under-promoted despite significant investments.
“You create the product, you create the narrative, and you speak the narrative in the voice of the person to whom you want to listen,” she said.
Drawing from her experience with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Fubara explained how Dubai strategically partnered with influencers and public figures from target markets to promote the city globally.
“We came to Nigeria, we hooked up with as many celebrities as we could that had some originality to them, and we said, we want you to come and experience Dubai at our expense,” she said. “Then we want you to tell the story about Dubai in the way your followers like to hear it.”
She also emphasised the importance of identifying specific visitor markets rather than adopting broad tourism campaigns without measurable targets.
“Who does Nigeria want to come and visit here, and why?” she asked. “You must have a target. Otherwise, you are building hospitality products for nobody.”
Speaking on the role of culture in hospitality, Fubara described Africans as naturally hospitable people, urging businesses to integrate local cultural values into customer experiences.
“I stand by it and by the testimonial of many people who have visited many countries, that Africans have the greatest sense of hospitality in the world,” she said.
Fubara also encouraged young people seeking careers in tourism and hospitality to focus on areas aligned with their passion and strengths, warning that the industry requires resilience, patience, and collaboration.
“It can’t be random,” she said. “And finally, it must be collaborative.”
Ademide Adebayo
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