WAEC Tourism Syllabus 2026

Aims and Objectives

explain the concepts associated with tourism activities such as tourism, tourist, tourist attraction, tour operation, excursion, travel agency etc
acquire knowledge of tourist attraction centers and their locations
understand the financial, social, and developmental benefits of tourism to a nation
explain the tourism and cultural festivals of a nation
acquire the basic knowledge of the operations of a travel agency and tour businesses
understand the roles and functions of public and private agencies in tourism
develop skills in tourism entrepreneurship

Scheme of Examination

The subject will be examined as a composite paper made up of two papers-papers 1 & 2, to be answered in 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Paper 1:

Paper 1 will comprise 40 multiple-choice questions drawn to cover the entire syllabus.

Candidates will be required to answer all the questions in 40 minutes for 40 marks.

Paper 2:

Paper 2 will consist of two Sections, A and B.

Section A:

Section A will consist of ten restricted-response essay questions, all of which must be answered for 40 marks. Candidates are advised not to spend more than 50 minutes on this section.

Section B:

Section B will consist of 5 essay-type questions, of which candidates will be expected to answer any three questions only for 60 marks in one hour.

FIELDWORK

The students should be exposed to fieldwork through excursions to tourism industry sites such as airports, seaports, beaches, landforms, game reserves, national parks, museums, hotels, tour agencies, etc., on which they should be examined as part of their continuous assessment in schools.

The scores for the fieldwork should account for 40 percent of the total continuous assessment scores of the students that will be forwarded to the examining body.

Detailed Tourism Syllabus

CONCEPTS AND TOURISM RESOURCES

Concepts: Definition of tourism, tourist, visitor, tour, operation, excursion, recreation, leisure, hospitality, travel etc
Scope of tourism
History of tourism
Types of tourism: domestic

international
Forms of tourism: Incoming/inbound

out-coming /outbound

international

domestic

long haul

short haul

business

eco-environmental

cultural

religious/mistrial

sport

youth
Components: attraction

accessibility

amenities
Tourist Products: Definition of the tourist product

Characteristics of tourist products (heterogeneous, intangible, immovable)
Tourist attractions and their locations: natural (national parks, scenic features, beaches, coasts, landforms, etc)

man-made monuments, museums, palaces, etc.

social-cultural (historic monuments, festivals, carnivals, sports, etc)
Tourism statistics: Meaning of tourism statistics

inflow(arrival)

outflow(departure)

expenditure pattern

data collection
Benefits of tourism: Economic benefits:

financial

taxes

levies

the balance of payments

foreign exchange earnings etc.

Social benefits:

cultural understanding

job creation

International co-operation

Developmental benefits

infrastructure

road

light

water

communication

superstructure

buildings

flyovers

rural development

preserves nature

use of land
Festivals in Nigeria: Argungu International Fishing Festival

Oshogbo International Festival

New Yam festival

Shao mass wedding

Sharo festival

Fare Wrestling Festival etc
Heritages in a nation: Sakur world heritage site

Museums and monument

Art galleries

Museums

Palaces

Gidan Makama

Shrines

BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS IN TOURISM

Reasons for travel

Why people travel
- Physiological factors
  - visit friends and relations
  - holidays
  - health
- Economic factors
  - business shopping
  - conference meetings
  - trade fair exhibition
- Social factors
  - religion
  - sports
  - beautiful natural sceneries
  - fashion fare
  - education
  - self-esteem

Travel agency business

Meaning of travel agency/agent

The roles and functions of a travel agent
- reservation
- ticketing
- visa procurement
- foreign exchange procurement, etc.
Qualities of a travel agent
- resourcefulness
- marketing skills
- honesty /integrity
- good communication skills
- timeliness
- vision
- managerial ability
- good understanding of ICT
- creativity etc

Definition/meaning of tour operator

Roles of a tour operator
- packaging
- marketing
- executing
Qualities of a tour operator
- honesty
- good public relations
- good marketing skills
- good financial standing
- good knowledge of the environment
- innovativeness
- good understanding of ICT etc

Support services

Support groups in the travel business
- financial support: insurance, banking, bureau de change
- transport facilities/car hire services
- souvenir shops, e.g., local crafts etc.
- accommodation hotel and catering services
- health services e.g., first aid, clinics, hospitals etc.
- security services

Public agencies in tourism

Identification and Roles of public agencies in Tourism

Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation
State Tourism Boards
Local Government Tourism Committees
Parastatals
- Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation(NTDC)- policy implementation
- National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Manpower development
- National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) Preservation of heritages

Private agencies in tourism

Identification and Roles of private tourism agencies in Nigeria

Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) – umbrella body for all private tourism agencies in Nigeria
National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) – regulates travel agencies
Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers on Tourism (ANTWT) – writes on tourism issues in national dailies and tourism magazines
National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) – regulates tour-operating businesses
Nigerian Hotels Association (NHA)
Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN)- an umbrella body for all hospitality and tourism practitioners

Tourism marketing

Meaning of tourism marketing

Tourism marketing strategies:
- segmentation
- mass marketing
- niche marketing(new emerging markets)
Marketing tools in tourism
- electronic media
  - television
  - radio
- print media
  - newspapers
  - magazines
  - journals
  - publications
- fairs and exhibitions
  - local fairs
  - International fairs
- e-tourism
  - Internet services
  - e-banking
  - e-reservation
  - electronic billboard

Entrepreneurship in tourism

Meaning of entrepreneurship
Meaning of cottage industries
Examples of cottage industries:
Leather works, ceramics and pottery, bread making, tie and dye, hair weaving, painting, cloth weaving, raffia weaving etc
Items produced in cottage industries:
- shoes, bags, wallets, belts etc.
- water pots, cooking pots, wall tiles, floor tiles etc.
- beads, ornaments, earrings etc.
- clothes, adire, kampalla etc.
- Jamaica beads, Ghana beads, chuku etc.
- Akwa-ocha, aso ofi, aso oke, akwete etc.
- Cane chairs, broom, raffia beds etc.

Service delivery in tourism

Meaning of service delivery
Service delivery in tourism:
- tour guards, ticket retailers, cooks, waiters, photographers, cultural dancers, drivers, game guards, reservation officers etc.

Skill acquisition

Definition of skills
Skill acquisition centers in a nation:
- Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)
- National Directorate of Employment (NDE)
- National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR)
- National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO)
- Ushafa Pottery Centre etc.

Download Complete PDF

The full Tourism topic list is in text above. Use the buttons below to download the official WAEC PDF for offline use — one file for school candidates (WASSCE) and one for private candidates (GCE).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Tourism WAEC syllabus the same for SSCE and GCE candidates?

Yes. WAEC uses the same Tourism syllabus for both SSCE (school) and GCE (private/external) candidates, so the topics, aims and scheme of examination are identical.

What does the Tourism WAEC syllabus contain?

The Tourism syllabus sets out the aims and objectives, the scheme of examination (papers, duration and marks) and the detailed list of topics and subtopics that your exam questions are drawn from.

Is the Tourism syllabus the same in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia?

Yes. WAEC standardises the Tourism syllabus across all member countries, so candidates in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia study the same content.

Can I download the Tourism WAEC syllabus as a PDF?

Yes. You can download the complete Tourism WAEC syllabus as a PDF using the SSCE and GCE download buttons above. The PDF works offline for both internal (SSCE) and external (GCE) candidates.

Is this the latest Tourism WAEC syllabus for 2026?

Yes. This is the current Tourism syllabus, covering the May/June, Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb WASSCE cycles. It was last reviewed on January 2, 2026.

How should I use the Tourism syllabus to prepare for WAEC?

Work through every topic in the detailed syllabus above, match each topic to past questions, and use the aims and objectives to understand the skills examiners reward. Cover the whole syllabus, since WAEC sets questions from across all topics.

WAEC Tourism Syllabus