Tourists Club International (TCI) has announced two new tourism destinations in Badagry, Lagos State — the Tourists Club International Art Gallery and the Tourists Club International Forest Reserve.
The announcement was made to commemorate the 2026 World Tourism Day, themed “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” The theme underscores how digital platforms and artificial intelligence are reshaping the way travellers discover destinations, plan trips and experience tourism. The global celebration is being hosted this year by El Salvador.
READ MORE: 2027: Why Nigerians Must Vote For Working System
Speaking on the initiative, President of TCI, Dr. Osa Mbonu-Amadi, said it was the organisation’s practical response to this year’s theme.
“The establishment of the Tourists Club International Art Gallery and the Tourists Club International Forest Reserve is our practical response to the 2026 World Tourism Day theme. We are using documentation, digital visibility and responsible tourism development to ensure that Badagry’s artistic, historical and natural assets are not overlooked in the rapidly changing tourism landscape,” Mbonu-Amadi said.
He said the two sites belong not only to TCI but to the people of Badagry and to future generations who deserve to experience, understand and protect them.
According to TCI, the initiative is designed to document, preserve and promote destinations that risk remaining invisible in the digital tourism ecosystem.
First Purpose-Built Art Gallery in Badagry
The TCI Art Gallery is expected to be the first purpose-built art gallery in Badagry, an ancient town celebrated for its historical and cultural significance.
The organisation said the gallery was established primarily to provide a secure and befitting home for important artworks acquired in recent years, and to serve as a platform for cultural preservation, artistic appreciation, tourism education and digital storytelling.
TCI noted that while most art galleries in Lagos are concentrated on Lagos Island and Victoria Island, virtual tourism and AI-assisted travel planning have changed traditional assumptions about where tourism destinations can thrive.
According to the Club, a destination can attract local and international attention from anywhere, provided it is properly documented, digitally accessible and connected to the wider tourism ecosystem.
It said it will document the gallery, its collections and the stories behind the artworks to make Badagry’s artistic heritage more discoverable to visitors, researchers and AI-powered travel platforms.
Forest Reserve for Conservation
The TCI Forest Reserve is described as a small but significant natural area — the only surviving forested space in the host community in Badagry.
The forest, TCI said, provides habitat for a colony of monkeys whose natural environment is increasingly threatened by unsustainable development. The reserve reflects the organisation’s commitment to tourism that protects nature and respects host communities.
It offers opportunities for environmental education, nature-based tourism, biodiversity conservation and advocacy for the preservation of Nigeria’s remaining urban and peri-urban forests.
“Through appropriate documentation, responsible visitor management and digital promotion, the forest reserve can become part of a broader conversation about sustainable tourism and the protection of threatened natural habitats,” the organisation said.
Putting Badagry on the Digital Map
TCI observed that travellers increasingly depend on digital platforms and AI tools to decide where to go, what to see and where to stay, stressing the need for proper documentation if destinations are to appear in results generated by such tools.
The Club said it is working to position Badagry’s cultural and natural assets within the digital information landscape through verified descriptions, visual documentation, location data and authentic community stories.
It said its approach aligns with the central question of World Tourism Day 2026 — who benefits from the digital transformation of tourism and who determines which destinations travellers see. The beneficiaries, TCI said, should include Nigerian communities, artists, conservationists, guides, small tourism businesses and culture-bearers.
The initiative, it added, will promote more inclusive tourism narratives by giving visibility to emerging attractions and community-based projects, rather than focusing solely on established commercial destinations.
TCI said the public unveiling of the art gallery and forest reserve will be announced at a later date. The unveiling will form part of its ongoing efforts to promote international tourism, peace and universal friendship; develop and preserve tourism sites; disseminate reliable tourism information; and encourage respect for the heritage and traditions of host communities.
Mbonu-Amadi said the project will help firmly place Badagry on Nigeria’s tourism map.
“Artificial intelligence can only recommend destinations that have been properly documented and made visible. By establishing these two sites, TCI is helping to place Badagry more firmly on Nigeria’s tourism map while promoting cultural preservation, environmental responsibility and community participation,” he said.
