Every year, thousands of people (from all parts of Nigeria and around the world) head to Calabar – the capital of Cross River State – to experience the hugely popular Calabar Carnival, arguably Africa’s largest street party.
The carnival is popular for many things; colourful dancers from around the world, street parades. Food, bike shows, fashion shows, boat regatta, concerts, local & international tourists amongst others.
In order to further create value for both Cross Riverians and visitors to the state during the 2018 Calabar Carnival, the Cross River State Ministry Culture & Tourism Development has partnered with Muster as the “Official Accommodation Partner” for the Carnival.
“Through this partnership, during the carnival, Cross Riverians will be able to make extra income by letting out the spare rooms in their apartments/houses to verified visitors by listing these rooms on muster.africa/carnival. This alternative source of income will boost their spending power throughout the festival period.
Similarly, verified visitors to the state will be able to find affordable accommodation by paying for just the space they occupy in a resident’s house thereby having an alternative to expensive (mostly unavailable) hotels.”
With the theme of this year Carnival being ‘Africanism’, this partnership will also boost cultural immersion as visitors will get to have a first-hand cultural experience and Carnival feel by living with a Cross Riverian host.
By living with local Hosts, visitors will be afforded the opportunity to learn about the state and tourist attractions from their hosts as well as a recommendation on where to visit and what to avoid, essentially having unofficial tour guides.
Nigeria’s PropTech Startup; Muster has been enabling people in select African Megacities to have access to affordable housing (by unlocking available rooms in these cities through a peer to peer shared housing marketplace) and this partnership will enable the company to “Muster” Calabar during the festivals.
