Rivers Plans Major Tourism, Leisure Events, Dec

The Rivers State Government has announced plans for a major tourism and leisure events this December.

This is as some stakeholders in the State are seeking for a digital mapping of tourism potentials in the State.

Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr Freddy Ndigbara, made this known at the 2026 World Tourism Day celebration organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Port Harcourt.

The theme for this year’s celebration was ‘Digital agenda and artificial intelligence to redesign tourism,’ while the sub-ttheme was ‘providing innovative solutions for tourism development in Rivers State.’

Ndigbara urged those planning to travel out of the State for leisure this December to have a rethink as the State is making a bigger arrangement as far as tourism and entertainment are concerned.

“This year by the grace of God and through the strength of His Excellency, we believe that if you have a plan to travel outside Rivers State to pursue leisure or entertainment, please take a pause, rejig your plans because everything will point to Rivers State in December,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary described the theme of the celebration as apt, saying Artificial Intelligence has become relevant in every sector of life.

According to him, Artificial Intelligence now powers everything from personalised itineraries to smart destination market and others.

He said, “It is my honour to share some thoughts with you on this auspicious occasion of the World Tourism Day 2026, which is observed globally under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”

“In today’s world, there are so many things that point to the relevance of the theme.

“Across the world, technology is transforming how people discover, plan, and experience tourism. Artificial Intelligence now powers everything from personalised itineraries to smart destination marketing, virtual tours, data-driven policy, just to mention but a few.”

He further said that “If Rivers State is to compete favourably on the global tourism map, we must deliberately embrace these digital tools to tell our own story more compellingly and reach travellers wherever they are.”

Ndigbara said his Ministry was working hard to ensure that Rivers State is mentioned as a tourism hub in the country.

“Rivers State is uniquely endowed. Our rich cultural festivals, vibrant arts, warm hospitality, and scenic riverine landscapes make us a destination of economic promise and of enormous potentials. Tourism and culture are not merely leisure pursuits.

“They are powerful engines of economic growth, create jobs for our youths, generate revenue for small businesses, preserve our indigenous heritage for generations yet unborn, and project a positive image of our state in the world. Beyond this, our State is at the heart of hydrocarbon production, but we are also looking beyond that to look at the blue economy,” he said.

Meanwhile, some stakeholders are seeking for a digital mapping of tourism potentials in the State.

They said this at the just concluded World Tourism Day celebration in Port Harcourt.

Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo, described the event as a defining moment in the state history.

According to him, the event provided good environment where culture, geography and technology converge to chat a new destiny for the State.

Sirawoo, who was represented by the Director of Publications, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Mr Chris Davis, said the theme for this year’s celebration struck at the heart of modern economic development when paired with the state contextualized theme which is providing innovative solutions to tourism development of Rivers State.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr GoodLife Nmekini, stressed the need for the State to preserve its rich cultural heritage.

Nmekini also called for the development of cultural literacy, while efforts should be made to digitalize the state tourism potentials.

The highpoint of the event was the presentation of awards and prizes to AI competition winners.

John Bibor, Kenneth Chinaza & Joy Woko