By Onyeka Ezike
Tourists Club International (TCI) has 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.
The announcement was made on Sunday to commemorate the 2026 World Tourism Day, whose theme is “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
The theme highlights the growing influence of digital platforms and artificial intelligence on how travellers discover destinations, plan journeys and experience tourism. The official global celebration is being hosted by El Salvador.
President of TCI, Dr. Osa Mbonu-Amadi, said the initiative represented the organisation’s practical response to the global theme.
“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. We are using documentation, digital visibility and responsible tourism development to ensure that Badagry’s artistic, historical and natural assets are not overlooked in the rapidly changing tourism landscape,” Mbonu-Amadi said.
He added that the destinations belonged not only to TCI but also to the people of Badagry and future generations who deserved to experience, understand and protect them.
According to the organisation, the initiative is aimed at documenting, preserving and promoting destinations that might otherwise remain invisible in the digital tourism ecosystem.
Art gallery for Badagry
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.
TCI said the gallery was being established primarily to provide a secure and appropriate home for important artworks acquired by the organisation in recent years.
It added that the facility would serve as a platform for cultural preservation, artistic appreciation, tourism education and digital storytelling.
The organisation noted that although many art galleries in Lagos were concentrated on Lagos Island and Victoria Island, the growth of virtual tourism and AI-assisted travel planning had changed the traditional idea of where tourism destinations could be located.
According to TCI, a destination can attract local and international attention from anywhere, provided it is properly documented, digitally accessible and connected to the wider tourism ecosystem.
The organisation said it would document the gallery, its collections and the stories behind the artworks to make Badagry’s artistic heritage more discoverable to visitors, researchers and AI-powered travel platforms.
Forest reserve for conservation
The Tourists Club International Forest Reserve is described as a small but important natural area in Badagry and the only surviving forested space in the host community.
TCI said the forest provides a habitat for a colony of monkeys whose natural environment is increasingly threatened by unsustainable development.
The reserve, according to the organisation, reflects its commitment to developing tourism in a manner that protects nature and respects host communities.
It said the site offered opportunities for environmental education, nature-based tourism, biodiversity conservation and public awareness of the need to preserve Nigeria’s remaining urban and peri-urban forests.
“Through appropriate documentation, responsible visitor management and digital promotion, the forest reserve can become part of a broader conversation about sustainable tourism and the protection of threatened natural habitats,” the organisation said.
Making Badagry visible
TCI said travellers increasingly relied on digital platforms and AI tools to determine where to go, what to see and where to stay.
It therefore stressed the importance of documenting destinations if they were to appear in answers generated by digital platforms and AI-powered travel tools.
The organisation said it was working to place Badagry’s cultural and natural assets within the digital information landscape through verified descriptions, visual documentation, location data and stories reflecting the experience and voice of the host community.
TCI said its approach was consistent with the central concern of World Tourism Day 2026: who benefits from the digital transformation of tourism and who determines which destinations travellers see.
It added that the beneficiaries should include Nigerian communities, artists, conservationists, guides, small tourism businesses and culture-bearers.
The organisation also said the initiative would promote more inclusive tourism narratives by giving visibility to emerging attractions and community-based tourism projects, rather than focusing exclusively on established commercial destinations.
Public unveiling
TCI said it would unveil the art gallery and forest reserve to the public at a date to be announced.
The unveiling, it said, would form part of its continuing efforts to promote international tourism, peace and universal friendship; develop and preserve tourism sites; disseminate reliable tourism information; and encourage respect for the heritage and traditions of host communities. Mbonu-Amadi said 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. By establishing these two sites, TCI is helping to place Badagry more firmly on Nigeria’s tourism map while promoting cultural preservation, environmental responsibility and community participation,” he said.
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