On Sunday, Tourists Club International president, Share Osa Mbonu-Amadi, announced the establishment of two new tourism destinations in Badagry, Lagos State: the Tourists Club International Art Gallery and the Tourists Club International Forest Reserve. This initiative was launched to commemorate World Tourism Day 2026, themed “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism”. The global observance highlights the growing influence of digital platforms and artificial intelligence on how travellers discover destinations and experience tourism.
The Tourists Club International Art Gallery is expected to become the first purpose-built art gallery in Badagry, an ancient town renowned for its historical, cultural and tourism significance. The gallery will provide a secure home for important artworks acquired by the organisation in recent years and serve as a platform for cultural preservation, artistic appreciation, tourism education and digital storytelling. The facility will document its collections and the stories behind the artworks to make Badagry’s artistic heritage more discoverable to visitors and AI-powered travel platforms.
The Tourists Club International Forest Reserve is a small but important natural area in Badagry and the only surviving forested space in the host community. The forest provides a habitat for a colony of monkeys whose natural environment is increasingly threatened by unsustainable development. The reserve reflects the organisation’s commitment to developing tourism in a manner that protects nature and respects host communities. It offers opportunities for environmental education, nature-based tourism and biodiversity conservation.
According to Mbonu-Amadi, the initiative represents the organisation’s practical response to the global theme of World Tourism Day 2026. “The establishment of the Tourists Club International Art Gallery and the Tourists Club International Forest Reserve is our practical response to the 2026 World Tourism Day theme,” Mbonu-Amadi said. The destinations belong not only to the club but also to the people of Badagry and future generations who deserve to experience and protect them.
The organisation aims to document, preserve and promote destinations that might otherwise remain invisible in the digital tourism ecosystem. By doing so, it seeks to place Badagry’s cultural and natural assets within the digital information landscape through verified descriptions, visual documentation, location data and narratives reflecting the host community’s voice. This approach aligns with the central question of World Tourism Day 2026: who benefits from the digital transformation of tourism and who determines which destinations travellers see.
The initiative will promote inclusive tourism narratives by giving visibility to emerging attractions and community-based projects. Beneficiaries of the initiative include Nigerian communities, artists, conservationists, guides, small tourism businesses and culture-bearers. The organisation plans to unveil the art gallery and forest reserve to the public at a date to be announced, as part of continuing efforts to promote international tourism, peace and universal friendship.
Mbonu-Amadi stated that the initiative would help place Badagry more firmly on Nigeria’s tourism map. “Artificial intelligence can only recommend destinations that have been properly documented and made visible,” Mbonu-Amadi said. By establishing these two sites, TCI is helping to promote cultural preservation, environmental responsibility and community participation. The launch of these destinations is expected to have a positive impact on local tourism and the community.
Key points
- Tourists Club International launches Badagry Art Gallery and forest reserve to promote local tourism and cultural preservation.
- The initiative aims to document, preserve and promote destinations that might otherwise remain invisible in the digital tourism ecosystem.
- The launch of these destinations is expected to have a positive impact on local tourism and the community.
