Calabar’s tourism sector recorded remarkable growth during the 2025 festival season, with over 12,000 passengers arriving through Calabar International Airport between November 2025 and January 2026, according to Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong, Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau.
The report revealed that 81% of these inbound passengers came from other Nigerian states, while 4% were international visitors, primarily attending Carnival Calabar and related leisure activities. Overall, the city welcomed an estimated 248,000 visitors in December 2025 alone, reflecting a 24% increase over the 2024 festival season.
Visitor expenditure on transportation was estimated at N10.6 billion, highlighting the growing economic impact of domestic and international travel to the state. Major visitor origins included Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, Abia, and Enugu, with international tourists arriving from Cameroon, the United Kingdom, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, and the United States.
Tourism hotspots also saw significant growth, with over 370,000 tourists visiting key attractions such as Obudu Mountain Resort, Marina Resort, and Kwa Falls between November and December 2025. This figure represents nearly an 80% rise compared to 2023, driven by increased destination awareness, festival publicity, and recovery in domestic travel. Ekpenyong emphasized that these figures demonstrate the continued importance of festivals and cultural tourism in driving economic growth, attracting investment, and positioning Calabar as a premier tourism destination in Nigeria and Africa.
