Held from 13 to 15 September at Eko Hotels & Suites, Akwaaba brought together hotels, tourism boards, airlines, tour operators, travel agencies and other industry professionals from across Africa.

For Bakadaji Hotel, the event offered direct access to the Nigerian and wider African travel market — an increasingly important audience for leisure travel, business tourism, meetings, events and regional partnerships.

While Bakadaji's main purpose at Akwaaba was to promote the hotel and develop new business opportunities, their presence also naturally helped showcase what visitors can experience in The Gambia.

From warm Gambian hospitality and local culture to accommodation, dining, leisure facilities and spaces for meetings and events, Bakadaji's team brought their own Gambian story to Lagos.

The Nigerian market offers opportunities that go well beyond traditional holidays. Corporate travel, conferences, events, group stays, weekend escapes and cultural experiences all have the potential to create stronger travel connections between Nigeria and The Gambia.

For Bakadaji, being at Akwaaba meant meeting the people behind those opportunities face-to-face — creating new contacts, introducing the hotel to potential partners and positioning the property for a growing African travel market.

And this is exactly why participation by Gambian tourism businesses matters.

The more local hotels, tour operators and tourism businesses connect with markets across Africa, the more opportunities there are to introduce new travellers to The Gambia.

For Bakadaji, Lagos was another opportunity to take their hospitality beyond The Gambia, build new connections and show African travellers what awaits them when they visit.