From what to pack and how to squeeze it all in, to the benefits of roll-over folding and the weird thing you should put in the safe, some British Airways’ pilots share their professional secrets
Senior First Officer Cliodhna Duggan, Boeing 777 fleet
The night before my first training day at BA, 10 years ago, I packed my uniform and travelled to Heathrow in my civvies. It wasn’t until I got dressed the following morning I realised I’d forgotten my black uniform shoes. All I had were the bright yellow trainers I’d travelled in… I’ve learnt my lesson I now always travel in my uniform.
Travel is made so much worse if you’re tired, hungry or have a dead phone, so you should always take earplugs, snacks and a travel adapter. I recommend see-through ziploc bags too they’re great for everything, including making sure your liquids don’t leak and for storing wet bikinis.
For work I can pack my case in 10 minutes. The best advice I’ve ever been given is always to put your name and contact details inside your case as well as on a label on the outside. And if you’re putting your passport in a hotel room safe, be sure to put a shoe in there with them so you won’t forget about it.
First Officer Aoife Duggan, Airbus A320 fleet
For work, I can pack my case in less than three minutes. In my bag, you’ll always find a small handbag that folds flat, a good lip balm for dealing with dry cabin air, and spare undies in case I get stuck somewhere for longer than planned. During the winter I’ll also pack a mini hot water bottle. Some hotel rooms never get warm, plus I find it hard to warm up on long night flights.
My fiancé always asks me to pack for him, though that’s not without flaws. We once arrived on holiday to discover he had no underwear packed at all.
Captain Rob Johnson, Airbus A320 fleet
Packing a case has been part of my life for 16 years, so these days I can do it in minutes. The best bits of packing advice I’ve ever received are to ask myself ‘Do you really need it?’ and ‘Can you even carry all this?’
As an author of children’s books (Plane Characters), I always pack a notebook and pencil for when I’m exploring a new city. I use these notes in helping to compose my stories. The one thing I wouldn’t travel without is my running kit. After a long day sitting on a plane it’s great to get out for a jog and some fresh air.
For an easy-to-pack souvenir, I like olive oil. Wrap the bottle in a plastic bag and then wrap it again in some of your dirty clothes before packing it securely in the middle of your case. As long as it’s in there snugly, it won’t break.
Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos has reopened for business. The hotel had been closed down for about six months to carry out renovation.
According to the General Manager of the hotel, Mr. Kevin Kamau, the need to renovate the 170-room hotel became very important when some of the key facilities of the hotel were not functioning at optimal capacity to reflect the status of the hotel as an international hospitality outfit. That led the closure.
He said the hotel spent about one billion naira on the renovation and it currently has what may be described a brand new hotel. He said key areas where renovations and upgrading of facilities were carried out were power, air-conditioning, and interior.
He also said with the high quality facilities and service the hotel has put in place, he was very optimistic the hotel will not only regain its market share, but will be able to attract new business and clientele. He said the hotel was looking forward to providing the guests with enhanced service.
He said: “We are a world-class brand and we want to be a world-class brand in the local market”.
He said the hotel would also try to build relationship in local market.
“We are infusing import with local products to provide a taste of Nigeria for international travellers. One thing that we’ve kept open is our dialogue with past and existing customers,”he said.
He said hotel kept its clientele informed at every stage of the renovation process.
He said: “One of the critical reasons for the shutdown was that our critical infrastructure was not functioning at the optimal level that we expected them to function as an international hospitality brand.”
Kamau said the hotel was very optimistic in regaining and making new clientele with the opening.
He said: “One thing that I am quite confident is that after we have opened, the market is quite positive to walk into a lobby and see a new hotel, the clients are excited about it.
“The clients have started coming based on this. On the social channels, based on the last few days of operation, it is a boom. I think the market will react to us. We have seen the bookings. The clients have started coming in. That was always the expectation.”
He was also positive that despite the difficult 2014, the industry would be much better moving forward.
“Last year was very tough for the industry. It was a learning process for industry. It is quite a young industry. Hospitality has just been up and running in the last 30 years. International brands are coming into the market,”Kamau said.
Kamau said Radisson Blu was positive about the Nigerian hospitality market, hence it would be opening other properties.
The first would be in the next couple of weeks in Abeokuta, and there were other properties are in other stages development.
He said:“We really set ourselves the task of getting the right talent and team back to train and really set ourselves apart to be the best in the market. We are looking forward to this reopening because we have enhanced our service level to above the market.
The Hoteliers Association of Cross River (HACR) has announced plan for the host of the maiden edition of the Calabar Hospitality Fiesta (ALHOSFI) 2015.
As revealed by the Chairman of the HACR, Mr. Charles Ogar, the event is a collaboration with Celebrity Planet 9JA, organizers of Miss Hospitality Beauty Pageant.
”The intent is for it to be the largest and most comprehensive business and leisure event for the hospitality industry in Cross River State,” said Ogar, adding that “this is the first of its kind in the state”.
It is billed to take place between October 28 and November 1 at the Municipal Garden, Calabar.
Hoteliers Association of Cross River, which is a registered corporate body and the umbrella association for hotels and other tourism establishments in the state, according to him, ”seeks to promote and protect the business interests of members.”
Therefore, the chairman disclosed that ”CALHOSFI is an initiative that seeks to accomplish the following: Provide networking opportunity for hospitality business practitioners; provide access to high value customers; provide sales and marketing platform; reviewing the state of the industry through interactions; and showcasing company products and services in the industry.
“It would witness the showcasing of the beauty and talents of young Cross Riverians; showcasing the comparative advantage of our God’s given diverse cuisines and culinary delicacies, while some of the activities slated for the five-day gathering include courtesy calls, city walk, welcome reception, food fair/exhibition, talk shops, beauty pageant and gala night.
”It’s going to be a colourful event that will span through more than five days of business and social interaction. Above all, it’s hoped that this will metamorphose to a fulfilling business and pleasure event in our tourism calendar that will attract traffic to our hotels yearly,” said Ogar.
Ogar lamented the poor economic nature of the state, especially that of hospitality which he said has been affected by low tourist traffic to the state.
Cross River State Governor Prof. Ben Ayade has appointed Mr. Ikechi as consultant to help internationalise Carnival Calabar in 2015. Uko who is also the organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos, Accra Weizo in Ghana and Africa Bantaba in Atlanta, Georgia was hired to extend the reach of the Carnival beyond the shores of Nigeria.
The Governor, according to the release, desires to add an international flavour to this year’s carnival hence the need to tap into Uko’s extensive global tourism connections. Carnival Calabar is the biggest tourism event in Nigeria attracting close to 2 million people annually. Tagged ‘Africa’s biggest street Party’, the carnival is now 10 years old. The Governor believes the carnival is now a mature product and should be harnessed properly as an international tourism product.
Osun Osogbo festival’s grand finale was marked last week. The usual gaiety and air of festivity was backed again. It was a far cry from the subdued tone of last year when the Ebola virus was ravaging West Africa and there were travel warnings and efforts to limit large scale gatherings. But all that was gone and in its place, Osun devotees and tourist visitors both local and international trouped to Osogbo city to witness the event.
Many saw last year’s deep in attendance because of the health warning as something that might signal a reduction in the glamour of the festival. But, the opposite turned out to be the case this year. Tourists visitors from countries like Russia, Brazil, Cuba, United States of America and many other countries came in droves the grove.
Being a festival held in August, the rain always plays a kind of hide and seeks at the grand finale. This year, right from the evening of the day leading to the finale, the cloudy sky held a hint of possible wet festival. But the rain never disrupted anything. It was just occasional drizzles that had more of a cooling effect than disruption to the to the festivity.
Since there was no health caveat, visitors and devotees were boisterous in their celebration.
•Osun devotees heading to the grove
Speaking on the 2015 edition, the festival consultant and head, Infogem Business Communications Limited, Mr. Ayo Olumoko said in terms of attendance, this year’s edition was one of the largest he has seen in recent time. He said the number of tourists visitors both from within and outside the country was a re-affirmation of the pride of place that Osun festival holds in Nigeria as a religious, cultural and tourism event. He said the organizers of the event would continue to work hard to maintain the festival’s pride of place in the country. He however lamented that the level of support from the Federal and Osun State government could be much better. According to him, even the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), the federal agency charged with the statutory responsibility of marketing and developing Nigerian tourism failed to turn up for the event. He said the organizers approached the authorities at the NTDC for support but they complained that they don’t have the money to do so. He however said despite this little set back, the 2015 edition was a huge success.
•Otunba Gani Adams and Mr. Femi Davis
The National Co-ordinator of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams who was present at the annual event, also used the opportunity to call on Nigerians to support and preserve their culture. He said: “It is therefore part of that effort to preserve our culture that we gather here today to celebrate Osun goddess, a powerful African goddess whose power rules the world. Osun,..
“Unfortunately, some ignorant people who have been brainwashed by European value system have chosen to condemn and deride our culture, custom, religion, political organization, science, commerce and everything about our value system.”
Significantly, the 2015 edition of the festival marked the 10th anniversary of the enlistment of the Osun Grove as a world heritage site. Speaking on this, one of the leading artists from Osogbo who helped to grow the festival become a major tourism event in the country spoke on the anniversary and what the status of the grove as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has done to the festival: “ The status had brought popularity to the Osogbo. From inception, some of us, like Ulli Beier, Susanne Wenger, Georgina Beier and the king then, made it possible. Unaware, we were just doing what we think is okay for us, not knowing that the future of the arts will be better. What we did then, when we were in the school of the late Duro Ladipo; I can call it a school because it is theatre. I was working there as one of the theatre men, and Twin Seven Seven was not part of the theatre. Myself and Oyelami were there. But as we were doing it, anytime the festival was coming, we role out exhibitions. Ulli invited different kinds of people from different countries and from the Diaspora to come and look at the exhibition. I can remember vividly, I remember in 1963/64 he invited Kofi from Ghana who did sculpture. And later on he brought somebody from an art school for summer school. Several of us emerged, some of them have now passed on, Rufus Ogundele and the others. In 1964, about the four of us emerged out of about 60. Georgina Beier, the wife of Ulli Beier, conducted the workshop.We worked together as a team, but when the festival was coming, we held exhibitions. We also did so many things-drama and so on, Duro Ladipo did drama, we also danced round the town to create awareness. That is how people started coming.”
It is to the credit of the Osun State festival committee and Osun Heritage Council, the organizers of the festival, that efforts are continually being made to uphold and conserve artifacts at the grove and also make sure that festival, as an international tourism event is held under conducive atmosphere. But it is important in the light of some minor skirmishes at the entrance of the grove this year to re-jig the security during the festival. The road leading to the grove also needs facelift.
However, Osogbo has once again proved itself as a top tourist destination in the country and place that could counted on in the quest to develop Nigerian tourism. The Osun Osogbo festival is in full swing once again.
The Chairman of River State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty Dandeson Douglas Jaja, the Amayanabo of Opobo, has commended the efforts Alabo Mike Amachree, former president of the Association Tourism Practitioners (ATPN) for his unrelenting efforts to develop tourism in the Niger-Delta in particular and the nation at large. The Amayanabo said this when Chief Amachree, accompanied by some top tourism stakeholders including the former permanent secretary, Kogi State Ministry of Tourism, Dr. Mumbo Eniola, Malan Kabir, former president, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), fomer director general National Gallery of Arts Dr. Paul Dike, and many other visited him. Amachree visited the traditional ruler in his office in Port Harcourt to informed about the latest project. Amachree told the traditional rulers that has completed the Museum of African History and Culture and a zoo at his new Brooklyn Tourist Centre along East-West Road, Rumuosi in Obio-Akpor council area in the outskirt of Port Harcourt, near the University of Port Harcourt.
Before the visit, the stakeholders had been taken round the new complex to see the new zoo and the museum.
The museum had history of top monarchs that has left indelible marks in the history of Nigeria.
In his speech at the occasion, Amachree said tourism a major economic activity which generates income and create employment for the people. He said for a country or state to attract tourists both local and inbound tourists, necessary infrastructures and superstructures that are capable of attracting tourists have to be put in place in addition to the tourists attractions. He said it was on that basis that the practitioners are visiting the monarchs to make suggestions on how the state could built its tourism profile and attrct tourists. According to him : “Rivers State with international airport, seaport and network of roads and the petroleum industry, has comparative advantage over other states in the country foe tourists’ inflow. Secondly, Rivers State was the first state in Nigeria to establish a tourist site known as the Isaka Holiday Resort in 1967 by the first military governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete Spiff. The second tourist site was established by my humble self known as the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach. It is also on record that my association, the ATPN organized the first Abuja Carnival under my leadership in 1991 without government assistance. We organized the second Rivers State Cultural and Musical Carnival in 1993, tagged RIVCAM ’93.”
Amachree said tourism was not just about building hotels, fast food restaurants, organizing carnival festivals that will attract the desired tourists to Rivers State as these facilities are mere ancillary or support service for tourism promotion and tourist delight. He said the state has to develop high class tourist sites and museums where our history and cultural relics, artifacts and monuments would be permanently exhibited for admiration by our visiting tourists. The tour operators would then market the sites and bring in visitors. He said also that development and promotion of tourism was entirely a private sector affair, and that government was to provide enabling environment.
Amachree called on the monarch as the custodian of the culture, history and culture of the people to liase with the state government to facilitate the implementation of some the suggestions he had canvassed so that the state could become a tourism hub in Nigeria.
Alabo Amachree said traditional rulers, as custodians of culture, history and tradition, should be assisted by the government to equip their palaces with relics and artifacts to promote tourism in their various communities.
He also called on the private sector and the government to jointly open up the rural areas by establishing private tourist sites, monuments, museums, tour operating and tour guiding enterprises which will create more jobs for people like the one he had just built.
In his response, the Amayanabo of Opobo praised the Alabo Amachree for the consistency in his efforts in developing tourism in the country. He also praised him for the new project, the new Museum of African History and Culture. He said: “Tourism is a product that enhances the dignity and prestige of most countries and provides so many opportunities, employment and entertainment. It helps in boosting national economies. We are lucky so many tourist sites abound in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, we have so many places to go to. It requires government assistance to private sector to develop them. Your call came at the right time. We will try to talk to the government to look at that area for developing in the area of employment possibilities.
The monarch said if tourism was developed to its full potentials, oil would take a back seat. He said people want to see new things in Africa. He promised to be at the commissioning of the tourist centre later in the year.
The monarch also used the opportunity to call on the government to return History as a subject in secondary school.
From what to pack and how to squeeze it all in, to the benefits of roll-over folding and the weird thing you should put in the safe, some British Airways’ pilots share their professional secrets
Senior First Officer Cliodhna Duggan, Boeing 777 fleet
The night before my first training day at BA, 10 years ago, I packed my uniform and travelled to Heathrow in my civvies. It wasn’t until I got dressed the following morning I realised I’d forgotten my black uniform shoes. All I had were the bright yellow trainers I’d travelled in… I’ve learnt my lesson I now always travel in my uniform.
Travel is made so much worse if you’re tired, hungry or have a dead phone, so you should always take earplugs, snacks and a travel adapter. I recommend see-through ziploc bags too they’re great for everything, including making sure your liquids don’t leak and for storing wet bikinis.
For work I can pack my case in 10 minutes. The best advice I’ve ever been given is always to put your name and contact details inside your case as well as on a label on the outside. And if you’re putting your passport in a hotel room safe, be sure to put a shoe in there with them so you won’t forget about it.
First Officer Aoife Duggan, Airbus A320 fleet
For work, I can pack my case in less than three minutes. In my bag, you’ll always find a small handbag that folds flat, a good lip balm for dealing with dry cabin air, and spare undies in case I get stuck somewhere for longer than planned. During the winter I’ll also pack a mini hot water bottle. Some hotel rooms never get warm, plus I find it hard to warm up on long night flights.
My fiancé always asks me to pack for him, though that’s not without flaws. We once arrived on holiday to discover he had no underwear packed at all.
Captain Rob Johnson, Airbus A320 fleet
Packing a case has been part of my life for 16 years, so these days I can do it in minutes. The best bits of packing advice I’ve ever received are to ask myself ‘Do you really need it?’ and ‘Can you even carry all this?’
As an author of children’s books (Plane Characters), I always pack a notebook and pencil for when I’m exploring a new city. I use these notes in helping to compose my stories. The one thing I wouldn’t travel without is my running kit. After a long day sitting on a plane it’s great to get out for a jog and some fresh air.
For an easy-to-pack souvenir, I like olive oil. Wrap the bottle in a plastic bag and then wrap it again in some of your dirty clothes before packing it securely in the middle of your case. As long as it’s in there snugly, it won’t break.
The Hoteliers Association of Cross River (HACR) has announced plan for the host of the maiden edition of the Calabar Hospitality Fiesta (ALHOSFI) 2015.
As revealed by the Chairman of the HACR, Mr. Charles Ogar, the event is a collaboration with Celebrity Planet 9JA, organizers of Miss Hospitality Beauty Pageant.
”The intent is for it to be the largest and most comprehensive business and leisure event for the hospitality industry in Cross River State,” said Ogar, adding that “this is the first of its kind in the state”.
It is billed to take place between October 28 and November 1 at the Municipal Garden, Calabar.
Hoteliers Association of Cross River, which is a registered corporate body and the umbrella association for hotels and other tourism establishments in the state, according to him, ”seeks to promote and protect the business interests of members.”
Therefore, the chairman disclosed that ”CALHOSFI is an initiative that seeks to accomplish the following: Provide networking opportunity for hospitality business practitioners; provide access to high value customers; provide sales and marketing platform; reviewing the state of the industry through interactions; and showcasing company products and services in the industry.
“It would witness the showcasing of the beauty and talents of young Cross Riverians; showcasing the comparative advantage of our God’s given diverse cuisines and culinary delicacies, while some of the activities slated for the five-day gathering include courtesy calls, city walk, welcome reception, food fair/exhibition, talk shops, beauty pageant and gala night.
”It’s going to be a colourful event that will span through more than five days of business and social interaction. Above all, it’s hoped that this will metamorphose to a fulfilling business and pleasure event in our tourism calendar that will attract traffic to our hotels yearly,” said Ogar.
Ogar lamented the poor economic nature of the state, especially that of hospitality which he said has been affected by low tourist traffic to the state.
Planning a trip while pregnant? Whether it is an essential family visit, a critical business trip or just mind-clearing ‘babymoon’, the idea of travelling when you are pregnant can be frightening. How do you manage a plane or a strange hotel room when it is hard to get comfortable in your own bed?
The fact is, this period is one of the best times for you to get away and yourself as it is usually safe for women with low-risk pregnancies to travel as long as they prioritize their comfort and health while on the go.
Before you start squeezing your over-sized maternity wear into your carry-on however, click on the picture below and hover over the red dots to see tips for taking a trip when you are expecting.
It was just before night fall and the palace of the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji was thick with people as tourists, fun-seekers and indigenes thronged the royal compound to witness the lighting of the 16-point lamp, OlojumerindinlogunWithin the Osogbo cultural landscape, the lighting of the 16-point lamp is an important aspect of the annual Osun Osogbo festival. Expectedly, the all-night carnivalfeatured traditional dances and music from various dance groups within Osogboland.
The night started with the palace chiefs lighting the 16-point lamp just before dusk after which the king came out accompanied with other ranking chiefs to dance round it. The king first had two round of dancesaround the lampwhich was kept burning by a palace chief who regularly added cotton wool soaked with palm oil to it. On the third round, the king and his palace chiefs took the dance rites around the city and beforethey returned, the lamps were put off and carried away to where it is stored till the next OsunOsogbo festival.
The spiritual significance of the lamp ritual can never be over-emphasized. Legend has it that the 16 point lamp was taken from the spirits in the Osogbo groove by a powerful hunter called Olutimehin. A ranking chief in the land, Chief PopoolaFolarinwa, the Ajaguna of Osogboland said the lighting rites were in line with an instruction the hunter received from the goddess of Osogbo when he took the lamp from spirits in the forest.
He said: “The lamp is part of the history of the founding of Osogbo kingdom. There was an elephant hunter called Olutimehin. While searching for water during hunting in the Osun groove at night, he stumbled onsome spirits dancing around this lamp. As a powerful hunter, he overpoweredthem and took the lamp from them. But the goddess of the river warned that for him to keep the lamp, he will have to replicate thedance steps of the spirits around the lamp. That is how Osogbo kingdom came about the lamp andjust as we are doing tonight, in the last 600 years we have been doing it in compliance with what the deity requested.”
The Ajaguna said it takes no special ceremony to light or put off the lights on the lamps. However, he said two things must not happen; one, the lights must not go off when the king has not danced around it twice. Two the king must not return during his dance tour of the city to meet the lights burning. To ensure neither of the two undesirable events happen, a palace chief has to constantly stay around the lamp stand to keep it burning and put it off at the appropriate time.
To the Osogbo people the lighting of the lamp reminds them of their ties to the Osogbodeity. It is a time to renew and strengthen ancestral bonds.
He added, “It means we are fulfilling the mandate that was given to us by the goddess of Osun Osogbo who allowed the hunter to keep the lamp provided he dances the spirit dance. The annual Osun Osogbo festival is a paramount celebration in Osogbo and it gives us the opportunity to reconnect with the deity of the land. It is a festival no Osogbo man would want to miss.”
Apart from its spiritual significance, the lamp provided photo opportunities for indigenes and tourists alike who took turns to take photographs with it. Besides, in the chilly night breeze, the lamp provided warmth as people encircled it.
For Goldberg lager beer, it was yet another opportunity to treat tourists and visitors to a classy beer experience. A mobile cart was deployed at the king’s palace to serve visitors with Goldberg lager beer. For the third year running, Goldberg lager from the stables of Nigerian Breweries Plc.,is the official beer sponsor of the UNESCO-rated annual festival in Osogbo. Drinking Goldberg was being equated to being in sync with the Osun Osogbo festival. Tourists, festival revelers and indigenes proudly displayed their Goldberg bottles and cans as they enjoyed into the night. The brand’s activities during the festival has reportedly boosted economic activities in the city. According to a source, the activation of the Goldberg beer village has provided direct jobs and income to some families in Osogbo.
