IPOLE-ILORO READY FOR WORLD TOURISM DAY 2026 — OLUP0LE

Promises First-Class Culture, Heritage Cuisine as Arinta Waterfalls Takes Centre Stage

By Adebomi Oladipupo Idowu

IPOLE-ILORO, Ekiti State — Ipole-Iloro, host community of the renowned Arinta Waterfalls, has declared its readiness to welcome visitors, tourists and stakeholders to the celebration of World Tourism Day 2026, scheduled for Sunday, September 27.

The Olupole of Ipole-Iloro, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ezekiel Babatola Oladele, JP, said the community was delighted that Arinta Waterfalls had been selected as the venue for the celebration, describing the development as a significant opportunity to showcase one of Ekiti State's most important natural tourism assets to a wider audience.

The monarch said visitors to the community should expect a rich cultural experience featuring traditional performances, indigenous arts, heritage displays, local cuisine and a special Pounded Yam Arena, designed to showcase the hospitality, culinary heritage and cultural identity of Ipole-Iloro and Ekiti State.

Oba Oladele noted that the theme of this year's World Tourism Day, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” was particularly relevant to Arinta Waterfalls, stressing that modern tourism increasingly relies on digital visibility, online mapping, photography, videography, social media, digital storytelling and emerging technologies.

According to him, the celebration presents an opportunity to demonstrate how digital tools and artificial intelligence can be deployed to promote Arinta Waterfalls, strengthen its global visibility, attract tourists and create new opportunities for the host community.

He added that photographs, videos, media reports and other digital content generated during the celebration would continue to promote Arinta Waterfalls and Ipole-Iloro beyond the event itself.

The traditional ruler therefore urged community leaders, youths, women, artisans, food vendors, cultural groups and other stakeholders to support the programme and use the occasion to present the best of Ipole-Iloro's culture and hospitality to visitors.

The monarch said: “Ipole-Iloro is ready. Arinta is ready. Our culture is ready. Our food is ready. Our people are ready to welcome the world.”

The World Tourism Day celebration at Arinta Waterfalls is expected to attract tourism and hospitality operators, digital innovators, students, media practitioners, content creators, youth entrepreneurs, traditional institutions and government stakeholders.

The programme will combine tourism, culture, cuisine, technology and destination promotion, offering a practical demonstration of how digital innovation can be deployed to strengthen existing tourism assets, increase destination visibility and stimulate economic opportunities for local communities.