(Posted 24th December 2025)
The Cross River State Tourism Bureau (CRSTB) has commenced preparatory training ahead of a comprehensive data collection exercise for the upcoming Detty December season in Calabar, building on the strong performance recorded during last year’s Calabar Festival and Carnival. The training, organised by the bureau, is aimed at equipping enumerators and officials with the skills needed to accurately capture visitor numbers, spending patterns and overall economic impact during the festive period. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CRSTB, Ekpenyong Ojoi, said resource persons drawn from the bureau and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) were engaged for the exercise, underscoring the state’s commitment to evidence-based tourism planning and policy.
Last year’s executive summary highlighted the growing scale and economic importance of the Calabar Festival and Carnival. The 2024 edition, themed “Our Shared Prosperity,” ran for 32 days and featured major attractions including the Christmas Tree Lighting, Carnival Calabar Dry Runs, the Calabar Food Festival and the Parade of the Bands, alongside music, cultural dances, fashion shows and sports competitions.
According to the report, Margaret Ekpo International Airport recorded over 10,000 inbound passengers between November 1 and December 29, 2024, up from 7,452 in the same period in 2023. Of this figure, 79 per cent arrived from other Nigerian states, while three per cent came from the diaspora, largely for leisure and carnival-related activities. An estimated 150,000 visitors entered Calabar in December 2024 via road, air and sea, spending about ?8.875 billion on transportation alone. This represented a 42 per cent increase in visitor numbers compared to 2023.
Tourism activity also surged beyond the carnival itself, with more than 300,000 tourists visiting attractions such as the Obudu Mountain Resort, Marina Resort and Kwa Falls between November and December 2024, a significant rise from about 190,345 visitors recorded in 2023. Hotel occupancy rates climbed to 68 per cent from 57 per cent the previous year, with more than 90 per cent of hotels recording full occupancy between December 15 and 29. Revenue from hotel bookings was estimated at ?2.79 billion, while food and breakfast sales generated about ?900 million. CRSTB officials say the new data collection exercise for Detty December is designed to build on these gains, provide more accurate insights into visitor behaviour and spending, and strengthen Cross River State’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading cultural and tourism destinations.
