Tourism in Nigeria

[Zsuzsanna]

Hello,

I have a question. Is trying for a touristic job in Nigeria a good idea, in the sense that it pays enough and it is exciting to try? I want to live and work abroad for some months and Africa sounds interesting, but I don't know what english-speaking country to choose. I know little French and Portuguese, but I know English very well (accented of course) and I have a degree in tourism. Or this all sounds like a crazy idea to you?

Bye bye.

[limse]

nah..south Africa, Gabon, equatorial guinea, Senegal, Botswana , Namibia....may be Nigeria"calabar,Lagos, or Abuja" would be best of option .

[Tegh7]

Originally Posted by Zsuzsanna

Hello,

I have a question. Is trying for a touristic job in Nigeria a good idea, in the sense that it pays enough and it is exciting to try? I want to live and work abroad for some months and Africa sounds interesting, but I don't know what english-speaking country to choose. I know little French and Portuguese, but I know English very well (accented of course) and I have a degree in tourism. Or this all sounds like a crazy idea to you?

Bye bye.

Hi, I saw ur post about this at the African thread as well. I hope u would have gotten a good idea about the tourism industry in Africa.

As for Nigeria, I don't think the tourism industry is developed enough to warrant ur interest. Then again, if u had a different qualification, then there exist job opportunities for foreign nationals in telecom/IT companies, oil companies and NGOs.

BTW ur idea isn't crazy. There exist a large expatrait community working in different sectors within African countries.

Hope this helps!

[Zsuzsanna]

Originally Posted by Tegh7

Hi, I saw ur post about this at the African thread as well. I hope u would have gotten a good idea about the tourism industry in Africa.

As for Nigeria, I don't think the tourism industry is developed enough to warrant ur interest. Then again, if u had a different qualification, then there exist job opportunities for foreign nationals in telecom/IT companies, oil companies and NGOs.

BTW ur idea isn't crazy. There exist a large expatrait community working in different sectors within African countries.

Hope this helps!

I really have never seen much publicity about Nigeria, I only thought about it because I met some nigerians in Budapest and they told me to visit someday because it was really beautiful, specially the coasts. I remembered their conversation when I posted this thread.

And that is very encouraging to know. Im really considering Kenya and South Africa as the best candidates. Which one would you recommend?

Thank you very much

[tomiwalker]

Originally Posted by Zsuzsanna

Hello,

I have a question. Is trying for a touristic job in Nigeria a good idea, in the sense that it pays enough and it is exciting to try? I want to live and work abroad for some months and Africa sounds interesting, but I don't know what english-speaking country to choose. I know little French and Portuguese, but I know English very well (accented of course) and I have a degree in tourism. Or this all sounds like a crazy idea to you?

Bye bye.

If you are interested in tourism, you should be looking for opportunities in East Africa or Southern Africa. I lived in East Africa for three years and visited a couple of countries. I think Uganda and Kenya present the best opportunities because they have authentic African experiences, developed tourism industries and big expartriate communities. South Africa has arguably the biggest tourism industry on the continent. I've visited and it feels like your still in the west.

Nigerias tourism industry is still in its infancy. Its going to be at least another decade before things come together but if you are really adventurous, I don't think there is a bigger adventure in Africa than Nigeria. You can research Calabar in Cross River state. Its a beautiful, serene place with wonderful attractions.

Hope that helped.

[HerachioBlo]

Originally Posted by Zsuzsanna

I really have never seen much publicity about Nigeria, I only thought about it because I met some nigerians in Budapest and they told me to visit someday because it was really beautiful, specially the coasts. I remembered their conversation when I posted this thread.

And that is very encouraging to know. Im really considering Kenya and South Africa as the best candidates. Which one would you recommend?

Thank you very much

South Africa is exactly like the west so it's best in livability. Kenya from what i'm told is very open and fun, very easy for someone to fall in love with.

Nigeria is for adventurous people. The life style you described in the other thread can be lived in Nigeria, and there's no african country that you'll go to and have more fun, I can say this very confidently.

The reason I say it's for adventurous people is because everything good and everything bad about Africa is in Nigeria times 2. Also, the gap between live styles is enormous in Nigeria. It's almost as if the rich and expats live in a different country than the poor/common class more so than many other places. This will make it hard for you to get a clear assessment of the country.





I'll say this much. Nigeria is fun. Everyone is always laughing and joking, there's always a good time to be had, and a city like Lagos is extremely unique and energetic. You'll be fascinated by almost everyone you meet, i can guarentee that without having to go into details. Nigeria also requires a lot of grit. You have to be able to let your hair down and be one with the locals if you're going to enjoy it and they'll embrace you warmly so that's easy to do if you're willing to do it.

as far as grit you have to be ready to struggle to get what you want, even the simplest things. Electricity is erratic, you have to argue a lot, traffic is horrible and you'll see a lot of things that will frustrate you. Nigerians still have a strange way of making these situations fun or funny. There is nowhere you can go in the world a meet happier people, and im not saying that with any bias.


It will be easy for you to find a job in the hotel/leisure sector that will pay you well because you're white. Not that Nigerians value whites more, but to them you're rare/exotic, and many will assume you're 'American' and associate you with good 'American' qualities, honesty and hard-work are among them. It also gives the place you work a nice international look to be diverse and looks are everything in Nigeria.


Culturally you'll assimilate well because Nigerians are very open and accommodating especially if they know you're from somewhere else but appreciate their culture/country enough to come visit/live. You'll simply have to get ready to have a harder time doing simple things.

Economically this is the time to go if you really want to. Hotels are springing up all over Nigeria like weeds as are bars and their main focus is looking and being 'international'. This is more likely to make them pay higher and seek out foreign looking employees.

You'll make friends VERY easily no matter who you are but i suggest going with someone you know because there are a lot of details that'll take time to work out.


Cosmopolitan lagos is about glits and glamor. Everyone is partying and highly social and people like to flaunt a lot. Everyone is very bold in the country, so expect to be hit on A LOT lol. There's always a party or function to go to and the constant 'good times' atmosphere makes it easy to forget the daily frustrations.



Most importantly, you have to be comfortable mingling with the poor. You may live in the city but have to cross a slum or pile of trash to get something you want or need. If you're bothered by this you won't enjoy Nigeria. I'm trying to post a video or something but everyone has a hard time describing Nigeria accurately. They will either tell you things are far better than they are, or things are far worst than they are because like I said the life style differences in Nigeria are like night and day.


I'll say they're both accurate but the country is so fascinating and fun that even the bad times are fun. For a foreigner, it will be a blast and there is a lot of work opportunities in leisure.

If you want a full cosmopolitan experience, live/stay in Lekki, Ikoyi, or Victoria Island, all parts of Lagos. You'll love it. All beautiful places with beaches and more removed from the 'struggles' of Nigeria (though experiencing them I think make the stay better). check out this thread to see cosmopolitan life in Lagos

Abuja as well, that's the capital and most modern city, though it's a bit more boring. Leisure and politics are everything there so you'll find a hotel and/or bar job.

Other cities to consider would be
Calabar, Enugu, and Port Harcourt. All very Tourism/hotel oriented, BEAUTIFUL natural environment, easy going pace of life, good night life, handsome men/ beautiful women.

[Tegh7]

Originally Posted by Zsuzsanna

I really have never seen much publicity about Nigeria, I only thought about it because I met some nigerians in Budapest and they told me to visit someday because it was really beautiful, specially the coasts. I remembered their conversation when I posted this thread.

And that is very encouraging to know. Im really considering Kenya and South Africa as the best candidates. Which one would you recommend?

Thank you very much

Oh! You are Hungarian! Nice! I have a friend that's from Hungary. His name is Zoltan. It seems so many Hungarian guys have that name.

As for where I would choose? I would have to say your best bet would be South Africa. It has a developed tourism sector and a large expatriate/ caucasian community. Perhaps, you could even find a Hungarian community over there(Most likely!). This should help u settle down quickly. Regardless of what decision you arrive at, I would seriously advice that you do a bit of research. This would be important as it will give u a better understanding of the different countries in Africa and where the opportunities exit . The tourism sectors in some of the countries mentioned are just now on a rebound. They were hit by the financial crisis in Europe and the US, where most of their clientele originate from.

Hope this helps.