Travelstart.com.ng, an online travel agency in Nigeria, has developed a partnership with KLM to organize a marketing campaign with the aim to increase awareness and to promote flights booking and destinations KLM flies to.
During this campaign, KLM will be rewarding travel consumers with some travel incentives, including free round trip tickets to Amsterdam, visa procurement assistance to Holland and free hotel accommodation for the lucky winner.
Travelstart Nigeria has distribution rights to sell KLM tickets, which can be booked through its website. KLM, also known as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines operates more than 200 aircraft and serves more than 130 destinations. Travelstart said customers can access KLM flights on its website; this, they say, has made flight booking online even more convenient for Nigerians travelling to France, Amsterdam, Paris and other destinations KLM flies to.
The KLM/Travelstart marketing campaign which started in April, 2015, draws on marketing strategies to promote KLM flights and destinations to Nigeria travel consumers, to provide broader brand visibility and increase database for both brands. The campaign is in two phases; the first phase ran for two weeks and gave successful results – increased conversions and leads. During the first phase, Travelstart’s followers and fans were asked trivial questions about KLM on their social media platform; winners were picked randomly and awarded some gifts. The campaign made its online debut with an extension on Travelstart Nigeria homepage, www.travelstart.com.ng and on Facebook.com/TravelstartNigeria.
The second phase of the campaign will begin on the 25th of May and end on the 14th of June, 2015; it entails a travel competition where Nigerians can submit their names and email addresses to be entered for the competition.
Speaking about the campaign, Lilian Obinna-Igwe, Country Manager of Travelstart Nigeria, said, “We are happy to partner with KLM and we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this campaign, without question this partnership is beneficial to us, apart from giving out to Nigerian, it helps us to promote KLM flights and destinations to Nigerians.
“ We are confident this partnership will cement the already existing relationship Travelstart Nigeria has with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and we also look forward to more collaboration with them going forward”
The second phase of the campaign will be promoted through all marketing channels including social media from the partners. With all these resources in place, the campaign will reach more people within a short period of time.
The children milled in front of the gate to the park in expectation not minding the stern looking policemen stationed to man the gate. They waited impatiently not necessarily because there was an invitation extended to them to come there. They must have heard the fun spot is ready and being Children’s Day, what better place was there to spend the day than the park?
The day was far gone, but the children kept hope alive. Finally, around 3:00pm, a lady in yellow top and black jeans came and informed the policemen that the children should be allowed to go in. They overheard her and rushed to enter.
They milled and pushed themselves in and sprinted from the parking area down to the main gate of the park.
Inside, there were cups of chilled Coca- cola products to refresh with. They then dashed to the fun area. It was very obvious that these children both from rich and poor homes had been longing for a place like this.
The first impression one gets on entering the park is the feeling that one is in one of those fun spots that dot the city. The buildings are built in the Arabian style architecture. The flat top with horns, the dark yellow paint and the rough wall all remind one of Dubai Jumeirah. This is a kind of mini Jumeirah tucked inside Apapa.
Some years ago, the Apapa Amusement Park used to be the number one leisure spot for family entertainment. Families trooped to the leisure spot for healthy family entertainment. That was before the rot set in and the park fell into decay and at the end of the day collapsed.
Years after, just as the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola administration in Lagos was winding up, a couple of tourist offerings were added to the state, giving residents and tourist visitors options for entertainment and relaxation. A few weeks after the commissioning of the family fun park at the Lekki Conservation Centre in Lekki, another major family fun spot was added. The Apapa Amusement Park is back and better.
The park tucked opposite the Apapa General Hospital, the new place has upped the ante in terms of choice fun spot for family. The park has just done a soft opening last Wednesday in honour of former Governor Fashola.
The Lagos State government had concessioned it to the company to redevelop and bring back the former fun of the place.
The new Apapa Amusement Park is bigger and with better facilities than what were there before. In addition, there has been an addition of conference centre and indoor game facilities. There is also a mini-football field for visitors.
Entering the game area, on the right is the rocket, the tea cup, carousel, pirate ship and many other games were all available. It is a place that one could easily spend the whole day without knowing.
The managing director of Crystal Cubies Construction Company, the company the park was concessioned to, Mr. Rabih Jaafar, spoke about the new Apapa Amusement Park.
He said the company had to start from the scratch. “When we came here, our engineer, that is our partner, had the vision of an amusement park that he had seen in Dubai. All these buildings you see, they are like what you see in Dubai’s Jumeirah, so he had the vision of building a kind of a smaller version of Jumeirah because of the land.
“That is what we have done here. For the rides, we went through children and adults. It is not only for children. There are amusement facilities for teenagers and adults also. They will be improved upon in the near future,”Jaafar said.
He talked about the facilities so far put in place and what would be added in future.
bumper cars
“There is the disco ride. It is for adults. It can take 24 persons. There is also the bumper cars for adults and children, the carousel for children and adults, the rockets, the pirate ship for children, the spinner and the tea cup for children.
“ We also have an air bicycle for fun and exercise. It is not electrically operated, you paddle it. With the children playing at the carousel, the adults could have fun with the air bicycle and still monitor them from the top.
“It is a total fun spot for the family. You can come here and spend your day easily having fun. We will have snacks, pop-corn and ice-cream points.
“There is the 7-D cinema facility. We have indoor games. We are going to add an arcade in the next two or three months. Hopefully there will be gym and conference facilities.
“With what we have here on ground, there is no need to go out of Lagos. Sorry to say it, now there is not a place to go and spend the full day in family entertainment. That is what we have here. It is a good place for tourists to come to while in Lagos.
“ We brought in experts to put this together. They have done it in Lebanon and in Senegal. This is their second construction in Africa. In Lebanon, they have done about seven. This is the second one in Africa.
“If things go well, we are thinking of building others within Lagos and later out of Lagos. We have offers to build outside Lagos, but we first want to put this one on sound footing”,he said.
Some of the parents that brought their children to the park commented also. “It is a pleasure to have such a place here in Apapa. It is a place that I will always bring my children. They really had a good time” said Mrs. Atinuke Ajao who came with two children.
Although almost every thing needed for families to have a good time has been put in the place, the management of the park said what was done on the Children’s Day was simply a soft opening for children to also feel the facilities and enjoy themselves for that day.
The doors of the park would be fully thrown wide open to fun lovers in the middle of July at the end of the Ramadan.
Qatar Airways has signed a business partnership agreement with Royal Air Maroc, a statement by the Moroccan carrier has said.
The statement quoted the Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, and the Royal Air Maroc’s Chairman, Mr. Driss Benhima, as saying that the agreement involved commercial cooperation, which would result in significant benefits for passengers of both airlines.
According to the statement, Royal Air Maroc will operate three weekly flights between Casablanca and Doha.
The agreement was signed at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai in the presence of journalists and travel trade partners.
It said the join business would benefit passengers by providing better links between Qatar and Morocco, greater choice of flights to more destinations and enhanced frequent flyer benefits, adding that with the new agreement, passengers would be able to purchase a single itinerary combining flights on both carriers’ global networks, affording them the ease of one stop ticketing and baggage check in.
The statement read: “Royal Air Maroc will be operating three weekly flights with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Doha complimenting Qatar Airways’ existing seven times weekly to Casablanca, giving passengers the flexibility of using a combination of flights from both airlines and aligned fares on their journey to and from Qatar and Morocco, significantly increasing their options.
“Qatar Airways and Royal Air Maroc will also be improving flight transfers for passengers through enhancing and expanding the code share network beyond their respective hub cities of Doha and Casablanca”
The Royal Air Maroc boss was quoted as saying that “the Moroccan company is pleased to conclude the historic partnership that consolidates fraternal relations between the two countries”
He said:“This agreement is a crucial phase in the history of the Royal Air Maroc since it allows a bridge between Asia and African that will facilitate the movement of customers in the best conditions due to the extensive network of Qatar Airways in Asia and the dense network of Royal Air Maroc in Africa by transiting through the hubs of the two companies”.
Southern Sun Ikoyi Hotel has won its fifth consecutive Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2015. The Certificate of Excellence, which is earned only by receiving consistently great reviews from the hotel’s customers and international travellers, posted onto the world’s largest travel portal trip advisor. The hotel says the award “fully reaffirms Southern Sun Ikoyi’s commitment to delivering quality, consistent and leading service within Nigeria’s thriving hospitality sector.”
Reflecting on the thrill of receiving the desirable international certification, General Manager of Southern Sun Ikoyi, Mark Loxley, commented that “the much coveted certification is indeed a great honour, continuing that, “the fifth consecutive win for the hotel is of particular significance being that this distinctive certification does not only celebrate the hotel’s excellence in hospitality services but more importantly that the award is voted for, by the esteemed guests, travelers and visitors to the hotel ”.
Mr. Loxley encapsulated allby stating that “Southern Sun Ikoyi will not rest on its oars rather, it will continue to raise the bar of quality service delivery and standards to its valued customers”.
The recent win comes with an added merit to the hotel as it also signifies Southern Sun Ikoyi’s official adoption into the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence, Hall of Fame, an outstanding international accolade of distinction, granted only to businesses that have won the Certificate of Excellence for five years in a row.
Lufthansa Group airlines has set a new fuel efficiency record of 3.84 litres per passenger and 100 kilometers. Lufthansa Cargo is also transporting freight more efficiently than ever fleet modernisation is progressing
The airlines in the Lufthansa Group have once again set a record for efficiency: In 2014, the planes of the passenger fleets only used an average of 3.84 litres of kerosene (2013: 3.91 l/100pkm) to carry a passenger 100 kilometres. This represents an improvement of 1.6 per cent over the previous year. As in previous years, the Group has thus met the demanding aerospace industry target of annual efficiency gains of 1.5 per cent. Whether Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines or German wings – all airlines in the Lufthansa Group have continued to improve their specific consumption values. The cargo aircraft of Lufthansa Cargo were also more efficient than ever, with 0.183 litres/tonne kilometres – an improvement of 5.2 per cent over 2013. In 2014, Group-wide efficiency in cargo transportation was increased by 0.8 per cent. In the reporting year 2014, the absolute fuel consumption in the Group increased slightly by 0.7 per cent with an increase in transport capacity of 1.9 per cent, so the trend towards the decoupling of transport capacity and fuel consumption was also continued successfully.
The further reduction of specific fuel consumption is foreseeable through the investment in new, more efficient and low-noise aircraft. Lufthansa has now put the last of 19 Boeing 747-8 aircraft into service. The aircraft is 15 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor model B 747-400. By 2025, the company will receive 272 aircraft at a list value of 38 billion euros. This is the biggest fleet modernisation programme in the history of the Lufthansa Group. In 2015 alone, 17 aircraft will be delivered to the Group.
The basis for further achievements in environmental performance is the four-pillar strategy established for climate protection, which combines different environmental measures. In addition to numerous programmes for the more efficient use of the resource kerosene, the Group is also focusing on the research and use of alternative, low-CO2 fuels.
Africa World Airlines (AWA) and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra will be the official airline and hotel sponsors for Accra Weizo 2015. The one-day event slated for July 3 will also feature award for top 20 travel personalities in West-Africa. These individuals were selected from a list of 100 top travel personalities in West-Africa based on their impact, legacy and influence in tourism promotions, aviation, hospitality, conservation, transport and travel business.
Some of the awardees are Otunba Wanle Akinboboye-CEO, La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, ( Tourism Man of the Year-Nigeria) Sir, Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide-Chaiman, Arik Air (Aviation Personality of the Year West-Africa), Dr. Kwabena Adjei-Founder Kasapreko (West African Personality of the Year) Mr.Adeseyi Sijuade-MD, Nigeria Railway Corporation( Travel Personality of the Year-Nigeria) to mention a few.
The AWA Commercial Manager Katherine Tosan Woode received Weizo document from Mr Ikechi Uko in Accra.
Official airline for Weizo-Africa World Airlines is adjugded “Domestic Airline of the Year” by the Ghana Tourism Awards and is Ghana’s fastest growing regional airline commanding a sizeable share of the domestic traffic and operating flights between Accra and Lagos. It has also offered chartered services for renowned world leaders, including the President of Liberia.
Accra Weizo, 2015 seeks to bring to fruition the dreams of former DG of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA, Dr Harold Demuren who said in Abuja at the Bantaba event 2012, while receiving the award of Travel Personality of the Year that West Africa should be single domestic aviation environment integrating safety regulations, airline connections and airports.
Dr. Demuren has since left NCAA, but his vision for the seamless integration is still far from reality.
This vision of a seamless travel experience is the main focus of a one-day travel event slated for July 3 at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The event is to be hosted by the Honourable Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts, Ghana, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare.
With the theme “Seamless Travel in West Africa”, Weizo is targeted at the founding vision of ECOWAS to create a region of one people integrating and growing together. It is coming as ECOWAS celebrates 40 years of existence.
With a population of close to 300 million people in 15 countries and a fast growing economic block, West Africa started the regional integration race in Africa since the 1970s but has since lagged behind East and Southern Africa.
With over 40 airports the economy of the region can sustain a viable travel and tourism industry.
Weizo seeks to bring travel professionals together to share knowledge and work out a future path of success for the region.
Getting to Arochukwu town is like a trip to the land of the spirits where one has to pass through the proverbial seven rivers and seven hills.
Although less than 100 kilometres from the Abia State capital, getting to Arochukwu from Umuahia can take between three to four hours. This is simply as a result of a bad road. From Umuahia to Ohafia, the road is bad, especially through Bende. From Ohafia to Arochukwu, after the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Army Cantonment Ohafia, the road becomes hell.
From the perspective of tourism, Arochukwu is a town with many interesting tourist sites. The most interesting thing for this reporter is Ibini Ukpabi better known as the Arochukwu Long Juju. It is a deity that transformed Arochukwu to a place where major issues and conflicts were adjudicated at the shrine of Ibini Ukpabi.
Ibini Ukpabi, at the height of the its powers, during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was the most powerful deity in Igboland. It was a kind of supreme court whose judgment was final. There was no appeal.
The guilty paid with their lives, while victims of the crime returned back to their communities with the sense of getting justice. No community would oppose the judgment of Ibini Ukpabi for the fear of being invaded by either Ohafia or Abam warriors.
Ibini Ukpabi, coupled with the strategic location of Arochukwu town, made the Aros serve as a kind middlemen in the trading between the whitemen and the Ibo in hinterland. The Aros travelled to virtually every part of Iboland to buy goods they sold to the whitemen, including slaves.
The reputation of Ibini Ukpabi was based on its ability to deliver swift judgments. Once a person entered the shrine, if found guilty, the person never returned. The relations would only see blood flowing out form the shrine and then would know the person was guilty and had been killed by the deity. But many said it was all a ruse as the priests would never kill. Animal blood was poured out, while the person was taken through a door to a secret location to be sold as slave.
The oracle was destroyed during the military expedition to Arochukwu in 1901 and 1902. It was after the punitive expedition that historical figures like Mary Slessor, the Scottish missionary, moved into Arochukwu to stop the killing of twins.
Ibini Ukpabi or the Long Juju ought to be a major tourist site in Abia State, but the bad road and the reluctance to take people to the historical site have robbed the people of Arochukwu the huge benefits they ought to be enjoying by having such site in the community. Ibini Ukpabi, rather than being a tourist site, is shrouded in secrecy.
•Eze Ibomisii
On getting to Arochukwu, the writer was tossed from one elder to the other. Finally, I met the Eze Ibomisii of Aro. The Aros operate a kind of triumvirate royalty with three paramount kings, all with their areas of jurisdiction. Ibini Ukpabi falls under the Eze Ibomisii, Eze Kanu Okereke. Eze Ibomisii is tall and regal. There was not much in the palace except the throne and chairs for meetings. Some of his children were playing around.
When told of the purpose of the trip, the king allowed a kind of wry smile to play on his face. He initially refused any form of interview. He demanded for the sum of N7,000 and a bottle of St. Remy drink.
After much pleading, he decided to lower the price and then waived the drink.
The amount was just for an interview. If the reporter insisted on going to the Ibini Ukpabi shrine, he would have to cough up N35,000 for certain sacrifices.
He talked about Ibini Ukpabi: “It is as old as Aro and Arochukwu is more than 1000 years. It served as a supreme court. If you committed an offence, you would be tried. If your offence was severe, you would not go free. If it was a minor offence, the Long Juju would set that person free. It depended on the offences”.
Asked at what point the diety became the deity for the whole of Iboland, he said: “Even before the time of our colonial masters. You know they fought the Aros from 1901 to 1902. The British military expedition to Arochukwu was led by a colonel. It was after the war that its influence started to drop.
“As the population grew, they started moving to different places to develop. People started coming from these places with one request or the other. If something good happens to you, you will tell others. That was how the influence started. Its popularity increased because of the positive news from the people who had visited the shrine.
“It acted as the appellate court, meaning that the decision of the deity was final. Whatever decision it took was final and before such decision was taken, the matter must have been examined very well. If you committed an offence in those days, for example, you took a knife, pursued and killed somebody, you would be brought here to be tried. I believe that the practice of Court of Justice was inherited from that long Juju. If you killed somebody, you were going for it. There were offences that attracted imprisonment. There were others that attracted exile. It happens today. That was the work of the Long Juju. It secured lives.”
Many believe the Aros used the deity to perpetuate their dominance in Igboland and get slaves for the slave dealers.
The king disagreed: “No, that is not true. As I told you, the Long Juju served different functions: function of trading ; function of securing lives; function of worship and others. We did not invite anybody. People were bringing people here. We did not force them. In fact, the Aros took a very big risk to accommodate different kinds of people. Aro did not go anywhere to bring people. It was the families of these people that brought them. Aros saved many communities. They forgot the risk that the Aros took to admit a bad person, sometimes the strongest person from that village.”
The shrine of Ibini Ukpabi is located deep inside the forest. It is after Hon. Mao Ohuanbunwa Street in Arochukwu. The difficult conditions set by the keepers of the shrine have made it difficult for tourists to visit the site. The gate to the shrine has overgrown weeds to show that it has not been seeing much of visitors. According to our tour guide, the journey required crossing a river but was not ready to continue. The farthest one could get was the point of no return before being told the required amount one had to pay and the sacrifices to be performed.
Arochukwu ought to be a popular destination, but needs efforts from the state government and the community.
Sheraton Hotel, Abuja has won this year’s Hot FM Social Media Award. The management of the hotel was proudly honored with an award in recognition of its operational and service standards in compliance with international social global metrics and it’s dynamic support of the media in Nigeria.
The colorful event featured top Nigerian Artistes with the likes of Korede Bello and a lineup of other artists and acts.
The Award captioned ‘Best Social Media Friendly Hotel’ was presented by Senator Chris Anyanwu and received by Nanji Tyem, the Area Communications Director, Starwood Hotels, Nigeria.
The prestigious award recognized Sheraton Abuja Hotel’s commitment to continually supporting and assisting start-up organizations and groups across board.
The officials of Hot FM aptly recognized Nanji Tyem as their major ally /collaborator and eulogized her for her unflinching partnership.
The event was colorful and filled with glitz and glamour.
The General Manager, Sheraton Abuja Hotel, Boris Bornman gladly delivered a brief acceptance speech.
“Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., of which Sheraton Abuja Hotel is proudly part of, is the leading Hotel and Resort Company in the world. Our ethos is to excel in all we do and to support localization in all countries we operate in. It is a proud moment for the Sheraton Abuja Team to accept this highly acclaimed Award”.
Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa, has announced that it has started serving Sao Paulo, a city in the fifth continent in its route network, with a non-stop flight from Addis Ababa since April 25, 2015. Ethiopian tri-weekly flights to Brazil are operated using the ultra-modern Boeing 787 from the major hub in Addis Ababa. The start of this non-stop service to Sao Paulo reduces transit stops for customers traveling from the rest of Ethiopian destinations.
Brazil is the largest national economy in South America and the eight in the world. Brazil has a diversified economy including agriculture, industry, and a wide range of services such as ecotourism, leisure and cultural tourism. Sao Paulo is the biggest city in the country and has significant cultural, economic and political influence both nationally and internationally. The city is home to several important monuments, parks and museums. “We are very pleased to be able to enhance the quality of our product and improve our competitive edge. The non-stop flight secures increased connectivity and reduced transit time for our customers. The new nonstop Addis Ababa – Sao Paulo flights will provide efficient connections for customers from almost all of our destinations in the other four continents we serve. “Said CEO Tewolde Gebremariam.
Passengers to and from Sao Paulo will enjoy maximum connectivity to destinations in Ethiopian world-wide route network in Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe. The new non-stop flight will enhance travel on the China – Africa – Brazil trade lane.
Hotel Presidential Enugu, once the pride of the South East, is set to regain its past glory as the new concessionaires are set to renovate return the hotel into its past glory. The hotel, one of the first iconic buildings built post-independence as part of the Eastern government’s industrialization plan under the late Dr. Mike Okpara, used to be the toast of the South East. The hotel quickly became a popular destination for Nigerians and foreign visitors. The collapse of the place led the government of Enugu State to concession it to capable hands to bring it back to life and upgrade it to world class standards. The renovation and upgrade, , according to estimate will cost over N4 billion naira. The hotel sits on prime land within the Independence Layout Enugu and is approximately 15 minutes by car from the Enugu International airport.
At the time it was open to the public, the Hotel offered 100 rooms on 4 floors with recreational facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts and a night club considered best in class. Many people growing up in Enugu and other eastern states have fond memories of Sunday lunch in the Hotel’s restaurant as well as attending functions in the grand ball room. These memories however quickly fade once the reality of the Hotel’s current state of disrepair is revealed. Many years of poor management, particularly during the many years of military rule, culminated in a complete rundown of the Hotel and subsequent closure of the once iconic facility. In a bid to remedy the situation, the current Enugu State Government, sought proposals from private sector investors willing to invest in the redevelopment of the Hotel as well as manage it under an international hotel brand name. After due consideration of a number of proposals from private sector investors, the Government of Enugu State granted a concession on the Hotel to E-Hospitality Services Limited (EHSL).
EHSL will undertake the project through a special purpose company – Primeview Hotels Limited. EHSL will also engage a suitable International hotel management company to operate the Hotel post renovation. Following extensive research EHSL noted the lack of international standard hospitality services in the South-East. Given the strong demand for quality hotel, leisure and conferencing facilities in the region EHSL aims to breach this supply gap by providing what would be undoubtedly the premier business and leisure facility in the South-East zone when completed. EHSL also expects that with the growing FDI flowing into the zone and the commencement of direct international flights into Enugu airport and significant foreign traveller traffic, the Hotel is expected to become the destination of choice. Enugu is strategically located, being approximately an hour’s drive from the state capitals of Anambra, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi and about ninety minutes from Port Harcourt. The hotel when completed will play a key role in facilitating business and socio-economic activities across the South-East and South-South zones.
