Moves Celebration from Conference Room to Tourism Site for Practical Application of 2026 Theme
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has taken the 2026 World Tourism Day celebration beyond the conventional conference-room setting by bringing digital experts, artificial intelligence professionals, journalists, influencers, content creators, tourism operators, hoteliers, students and other stakeholders to Arinta Waterfalls, Ipole-Iloro, for a practical engagement with this year’s theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
The celebration, coordinated through the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development under the leadership of its Director-General, Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq., in collaboration with the Olupole-in-Council and the people of Ipole-Iloro, was deliberately moved to the waterfall so that the theme could be demonstrated at a real tourism destination rather than discussed only within the walls of a conference hall.
The decision reflected the practical direction of the Oyebanji administration’s tourism policy. In February 2026, the Ekiti State Executive Council approved implementation of the Ekiti State Tourism Development Master Plan 2025–2035 as well as its policy framework, with emphasis on structured development of the State’s tourism assets, local enterprise, employment, environmental stewardship and improved visitor experience.
Explaining the thinking behind the Arinta celebration, Ojo-Lanre said the original plan was to hold the event inside a Digital Hub, but that a more practical interpretation of the theme demanded that the digital experts be taken to a tourism asset that required greater visibility.
According to him, Arinta Waterfalls therefore became more than the venue for the celebration; it became the subject of the engagement itself.
Participants examined how artificial intelligence, online mapping, QR technology, photography, videography, social media and digital storytelling could be deployed to improve the visibility, packaging and visitor experience of the destination.
Ojo-Lanre said increased visibility should eventually translate into increased visitation and opportunities for tour guides, food vendors, artisans, transport operators, photographers, accommodation providers and other businesses within the host community.
He charged the people of Ipole-Iloro to continue to protect and promote the waterfall, declaring that “Arinta belongs to Ipole-Iloro, Ipole-Iloro belongs to Ekiti, and Arinta is part of the tourism wealth of Ekiti State.”
The Olupole of Ipole-Iloro, His Royal Majesty, Oba Babatola Oladele Ezekiel, who welcomed participants to the community, described Arinta Waterfalls as a major natural endowment whose development must balance economic opportunity with environmental protection.
The monarch urged government, tourism stakeholders and the host community to work together to preserve the destination, improve its attractiveness and ensure that tourism development around Arinta creates tangible benefits for local people.
The celebration also recorded a strong traditional presence, with five other royal fathers joining the Olupole at Arinta Waterfalls.
They were His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr Oludare Omosebi, the Olohan of Erijiyan-Ekiti; His Royal Majesty, Oba Adebayo Olohunniyo, the Obalogun of Ilogun-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government; His Royal Majesty, Oba Aderemi Olufemi Daramola, the Onijesa of Ijesamodu-Ekiti in Ilejemeje Local Government; His Royal Majesty, Oba Adewole Oluwatosin Asewale (Amure Abe IV), the Owa of Ayegbaju-Ekiti; and His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr.) Sunday Olusola Adewumi, JP, the Onigogo of Igogo-Ekiti.
Their presence underscored the role of traditional institutions and host communities in the protection, preservation and promotion of tourism assets across Ekiti State.
The Special Guest at the event, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State Council, Mr Kayode Babatuyi, stressed the importance of the media in destination development, saying tourism attractions cannot command sustained attention if their stories are not deliberately and consistently told.
He urged journalists and media practitioners to deepen coverage of Ekiti’s natural and cultural attractions and use both conventional and digital platforms to bring such destinations before wider audiences.
A major highlight of the celebration was the presentation by Ayo Ojo, Technical Adviser to the Governor on Youth Inclusion, who spoke on “Arinta Waterfalls as a Digital Tourism Laboratory: Engaging Ekiti Youths in AI, Content Creation and Destination Promotion.”
Ojo challenged young people to move beyond merely consuming technology and instead use photography, videography, artificial intelligence, content creation and digital marketing to create economic value around tourism.
He said destinations such as Arinta provide opportunities for young creators and innovators to build careers in destination branding, digital marketing and tourism entrepreneurship.
Also speaking, Hon. Akin Abimbola, President of the Hoteliers Association of Nigeria, Ekiti State Chapter, addressed the commercial relationship between destination promotion and hospitality in his presentation, “From Destination Visibility to Hotel Occupancy: How Digital Tourism Can Grow Ekiti’s Hospitality Economy.”
Abimbola said stronger destination visibility should ultimately translate into increased patronage for hotels, restaurants, transport services, food vendors, tour guides and other businesses within the tourism value chain.
He urged hospitality operators to strengthen their online presence and collaborate more closely with destination managers and tourism promoters.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the celebration was the way Ekiti conveniently aligned the 2026 World Tourism Day theme with the reality of Arinta Waterfalls — a spectacular natural attraction sitting within the embrace of Ipole-Iloro and waiting for greater digital visibility.
That task was achieved in a practical and spontaneous manner.
For the day, journalists, students, tourism stakeholders, photographers, technology professionals and other participants were effectively transformed into influencers, content creators and destination storytellers.
Armed with phones, cameras and ideas, they toured the waterfall, captured photographs, recorded videos, created reels, conducted interviews and shared their experiences across digital platforms.
In effect, every participant became part of the marketing machinery of Arinta Waterfalls.
What could easily have remained a discussion about technology became a live demonstration of how technology can work for tourism. Arinta was not merely discussed; it was experienced, photographed, filmed, interpreted, shared and projected to wider audiences.
Participants commended the decision to move the celebration from an indoor venue to the waterfall, describing it as a practical application of the World Tourism Day theme and an effective way of drawing fresh attention to the attraction.
The programme also featured cultural performances, local cuisine, arts and heritage displays, reinforcing the relationship between tourism, culture, technology, community and enterprise.
The event was anchored by Ojo Olorunbukunmi, popularly known as Ajaabale, who coordinated proceedings and audience interaction.
By taking the celebration directly to Arinta Waterfalls, Ekiti State demonstrated a simple but important principle: tourism assets do not become successful destinations merely because they exist. They must be protected, packaged, promoted, made visible and connected to economic opportunities for their host communities.
For Arinta Waterfalls, World Tourism Day 2026 therefore became more than a commemorative event. It became a live destination-marketing exercise and a fresh invitation to the world to discover one of Ekiti State’s remarkable natural attractions.
The message from Ipole-Iloro was unmistakable: tourism is not rhetoric , I'm tourism is practical.
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