Chief executive officer of NTT Global Destinations, Elizabeth Agboola has said that there are critical challenges and opportunities in fostering stronger tourism between African and Caribbean regions.

She disclosed this at the 2024 African Caribbean Trade and Investment summit by Afreximbank, hosted in The Bahamas June 12- 15th.

The businesswoman was among the high-profile delegation for Afrexim Bank’s Annual AGM & 3rd Annual African Caribbean Investment summit alongside Aliko Dangote, former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former vice president Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Wale Tinubu- CEO Oando, Dr Doris Uzoka Anite – Federal Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment of Nigeria and many others.

During a panel discussion, Ms Agboola addressed the longstanding issue of no direct flight connections between Africa and The Caribbean, which often forces travellers to transit through Europe or the USA. This requirement means African travellers need one of the three most difficult visas (UK/USA/ Schengen) which she called the sacred holy trinity.

“African tourists without any of these visas would need to travel for up to three days.

These create significant barriers and discourage potential travellers. This not only hampers tourism but also limits cultural exchange and economic opportunities between our regions.”

She also added that as the pioneering force behind the first direct air link between Nigeria and the Caribbean [Jamaica] in December 2020, NTT Global Destinations is dedicated to overcoming these barriers.

“We believe that enhancing direct air connectivity is vital for unlocking the full potential of tourism and trade between Africa and the Caribbean.

We are committed to leading the way in finding sustainable solutions for air connectivity. We will continue to innovate and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that direct flights between Africa and the Caribbean become more frequent and accessible. Our goal is to create seamless travel experiences that promote mutual growth and understanding,” she stated.