Rivers: Can AI Unlock State’s Hidden Tourism Potential?

Blessing Ibunge For years, Rivers State has possessed many of the ingredients required to become a major tourism destination: a rich cultural heritage, waterways and marine resources, festivals, historical sites, a vibrant hospitality industry and a strategic location in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta. Yet, much of that potential remains underdeveloped. As tourism increasingly moves into the digital age, stakeholders in Rivers State are now asking if technology and artificial intelligence (AI) provide the missing link between the state’s tourism assets and the global visitors, investors and businesses that could transform them into sustainable economic opportunities? The question took centre stage in Port Harcourt as tourism practitioners, government officials, media professionals and other stakeholders gathered to mark the 2026 World Tourism Day. The discussions revealed that the future of tourism in Rivers State may depend not only on preserving its physical attractions but also on how effectively the state uses digital technology to discover, package, market and manage them. The stakeholders called for a comprehensive digital roadmap for tourism, improved internet connectivity along tourism corridors and greater deployment of AI-powered solutions to enhance destination marketing, visitor experience and service delivery. The call reflects a broader transformation taking place across the global tourism industry, where smartphones, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, data analytics and immersive technologies are changing how tourists discover destinations, make bookings, navigate attractions and share their experiences. This is where stakeholders believe Rivers State needs to make a significant investment. Regional Editor of BusinessDay Newspaper and panelist at the event, Ignatius Chukwu, argued that the state must create investment opportunities for tourism businesses, support private-sector initiatives and strengthen its destination branding. “For Rivers State to return to its former place where it sets the pace for others to follow, it must fund tourism businesses, create investment opportunities, invest in branding and leverage artificial intelligence to sell itself to the world,” he said. The challenge, therefore, is no longer simply identifying what Rivers State has to offer. It is about creating a digital ecosystem capable of presenting those attractions to audiences beyond the state and Nigeria. A visitor planning a trip should be able to discover destinations online, obtain reliable information, view attractions virtually, make bookings, access transportation information, receive personalised recommendations and interact with tourism service providers without having to navigate an inefficient or fragmented system. Artificial intelligence is emerging as one of the most significant technologies capable of reshaping tourism. AI-powered platforms can help destinations analyse visitor preferences, provide personalised recommendations, automate customer service, support destination marketing and generate insights from large volumes of tourism data. Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communication, Honour Sirawoo, and Chairman of the occasion, GoodLife Nmekini, separately acknowledged the potential of AI to support economic growth and tourism development. For Rivers State, the application of AI could extend beyond marketing. Smart tourism systems could provide real-time information to visitors, help tourism authorities monitor visitor flows, identify emerging attractions and improve the management of tourism infrastructure. Stakeholders identified inadequate internet access along tourism corridors, cybersecurity and data privacy as significant challenges that must be addressed if Rivers State is to build a genuinely digital tourism economy. In the digital tourism era, internet connectivity is increasingly becoming as important as roads, hotels and transportation. A tourist who cannot access reliable internet while visiting an attraction may struggle to obtain information, make digital payments, contact service providers or share experiences online. For this reason, stakeholders advocated expanded mobile broadband and improved connectivity across tourism destinations. The absence of reliable connectivity could also undermine the state’s efforts to use digital platforms to market its attractions. A comprehensive digital tourism strategy would therefore need to integrate connectivity into tourism planning rather than treating it as a separate telecommunications issue. It would also need to establish clear safeguards for personal information as more tourists and businesses rely on digital platforms. Rivers State Coordinator of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Princewill Iminabo, stressed that collaboration among tourism stakeholders would be critical to achieving meaningful transformation. He said the 2026 World Tourism Day celebration offered an opportunity for government, tourism practitioners and other stakeholders to examine practical ways of using technology to transform the sector. The global theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” he noted, underscored the growing influence of digital technology and AI on innovation, service delivery, business development and sustainable tourism. Iminabo warned against fragmentation within the sector, arguing that tourism associations needed to work together rather than operate independently. “Tourism associations in Rivers State cannot function in isolation. We must come together as an entity to nurture tourism development in the state,” he said. The Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER) called for a shift away from extractive approaches to tourism towards immersive tourism that supports conservation and biodiversity. Piriye Kiyaramo of ABER argued that digital technology could provide a bridge between tourism development and environmental protection. The organisation advocated AI-powered marine monitoring and youth-led blue-tech innovation, while calling for investment in digital tourism systems that could enable tourists to report illegal fishing and record wildlife sightings. For a state with extensive waterways and marine resources, the concept could open another dimension of tourism development. Rather than simply exploiting natural resources for short-term economic returns, technology could help Rivers State develop tourism products that generate revenue while encouraging conservation. The discussions also brought attention to Rivers State’s historical role in Nigeria’s cultural and tourism development. Chukwu urged the state to reclaim its historical position, including its contribution to the development of FESTAC ’77, and use its cultural heritage as part of a renewed destination-branding strategy. The task ahead is therefore bigger than introducing an app or deploying artificial intelligence. It involves rethinking tourism as a digital, cultural, environmental and economic ecosystem. Rivers State already has many of the raw materials. What stakeholders are now demanding is a strategy capable of connecting those assets to technology, investment, infrastructure and global audiences. The proposed digital roadmap could provide that connection. If properly implemented, it could help transform the way visitors discover Rivers State, how tourism businesses reach customers, how government manages destinations and how communities benefit from tourism.