World Tourism Day: Ekiti Unveils Arinta Waterfall as Tourism Laboratory, Targets Global Visibility

By Idowu Adebomi, Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Government has identified Arinta Waterfall, Ipole-Iloro, as a strategic tourism asset capable of contributing significantly to the state’s economic development, as it unveiled the attraction as a “tourism laboratory” during the 2026 World Tourism Day celebration.

The state government also declared its readiness to partner with communities across Ekiti to develop their tourism assets, stressing that the sector could generate employment, attract investment and create sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.

Speaking at the celebration held at Arinta Waterfall on Sunday, the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, who represented Governor Biodun Oyebanji, said the administration was deliberately repositioning tourism from a recreational activity into a viable economic sector.

The celebration, held under the theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” brought together government officials, traditional institutions, journalists, community stakeholders and other tourism enthusiasts to showcase the natural and cultural potential of the state.

Ojo-Lanre said the government was particularly interested in communities that were willing to take ownership of their tourism assets and collaborate with government to transform them into sustainable destinations.

He described Arinta Waterfall as one of Nigeria’s notable natural attractions, pointing out that its uniqueness included the presence of seven waterfalls within the site.

According to him, the state was open to investors interested in tourism development, with Ekiti offering a ready market due to its growing population, educational institutions and youthful population.

“Ekiti is open for tourism investment and the return on investment is very high because there is demand. We have seven universities here in Ekiti and their students are always enthusiastic to visit tourist sites,” he said.

Ojo-Lanre added that digital technology and artificial intelligence could fundamentally change the way tourist destinations were marketed, managed and experienced, particularly by enabling attractions in remote communities to reach audiences across Nigeria and beyond.

He said the selection of Arinta Waterfall for the World Tourism Day celebration was therefore strategic, as it would bring greater visibility to the destination and stimulate conversations around investment and sustainable development.

The Olupole of Ipole-Iloro Kingdom, Oba Ezekiel Babatola Oladele, commended the state government for bringing the international tourism celebration to the community, describing the development as an important step towards repositioning Arinta Waterfall.

The monarch said Arinta had the potential to emerge as a major ecotourism destination if supported with appropriate infrastructure, professional management, environmental protection and private-sector investment.

He called for stronger collaboration among the government, community and investors, saying the development of the waterfall would create jobs for youths, increase local income and stimulate commercial activities.

Oba Oladele also advocated the deployment of digital maps, virtual tours, online booking platforms, social media and artificial intelligence in promoting Arinta Waterfall and other tourism assets within the kingdom.

He, however, stressed the importance of protecting the environment and cultural heritage of Ipole-Iloro, warning that uncontrolled human activities could undermine the ecological features that make Arinta attractive.

The monarch consequently appealed to farmers operating within areas designated for the protection and development of the tourism corridor around the waterfall to comply with lawful government directives and vacate such areas through the appropriate procedures.

He said indiscriminate farming and deforestation could threaten the forest, vegetation and ecosystem supporting the waterfall.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State Council, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, said the media would continue to play a major role in projecting the state's tourism assets.

Babatuyi, who chaired the occasion, said journalists had a responsibility to deploy both traditional and digital media platforms to tell the stories of Ekiti's natural and cultural attractions and connect them with potential visitors and investors.

He said sustained publicity could increase the visibility of Arinta Waterfall and encourage further investment in its development.

Also speaking, the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Youth Inclusion, Mr Ayo Ojo, described Ipole-Iloro as an appropriate location for the celebration because of its natural attractions and reputation for hospitality.

Ojo said the event provided an opportunity to showcase Ekiti's tourism potential to a global audience, particularly through the application of artificial intelligence and digital technology.

He said the designation of Arinta Waterfall as a tourism laboratory would provide an avenue for technology-driven promotion of the attraction and other tourism destinations across Ekiti.

“Today, we have unlocked Arinta Waterfall and christened it the tourism laboratory. Now, the whole world can come and use AI technology to showcase Ekiti and post it on social media,” he said.

The World Tourism Day celebration therefore provided a convergence of nature, culture and technology, with stakeholders stressing that the future of Ekiti tourism would depend not only on developing physical infrastructure but also on effectively telling the state's tourism stories to a global digital audience.