The Nation Newspaper

Category: Tourism

  • Sheraton Lagos lines up activities for August

    Sheraton Lagos Hotel has announced that it has lined up many programmes for this month.

    The general manager of the hotel, Mr. Barry, said: “In August, we believe there is something for everyone. From food to creativity, we believe everyone will love what is in store this month.

    “To kick things off, on the 2nd of August, we will be having an international beer day and an international colouring book day. For the international beer day, we will be having beer specials at the lobby bar, goodies pub and pool bar. We will be having: Buy Two, Get One Free. If you buy five beers, you’ll get free suya.

    “For the colouring book day, every child who checks in that day or dines in our restaurant, will get colouring sheets. These colouring sheets will go up on the colouring board which the hotel has recently set up for kids.

    “We will be celebrating the afternoon high tea. For every meeting or conference that will be happening at the hotel, the afternoon high tea will be served. The afternoon high tea will contain eclectic bites like smoked salmon, mini quiche lorraine and more.

    “On August 19, we have the potato  and photography days. For the photography day, we will having a social media competition. Throughout the week, we encourage guests to take pictures in our hotel and tag us on the social media. Post with the highest number of wins will win a prize. Our hotel has many instagrammable locations and we believe that guests will find exciting places to take pictures.

    “For the potato day, it is best celebrated by incorporating potato into every dish you prepare which is exactly what we plan on doing. We will be creatively displaying potatoes on the buffet. There will be three different types of potato preparation on the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet. We will  have live cooking with potatoes – stir-fried, sautéed, buttered and so  on.

    “On  August 23, the hotel will be celebrating sponge cakes. The quintessential classic of the cake world. This airy queen of teas is the guest of honour on the national sponge cake day on August 23.”

  • 3rd Travellinks Conference holds in Canada

    All is set for the third edition of the International Conference on Business Tourism and Exhibition holding this month in Winnipeg, Canada. The conference will hold this month from the 18th to the 20th at Canad Inns Destination Centre, Polo Park, Winnipeg, Canada.

    According to the organisers of the conference, plans have reached an advance stage for the three-day event.

    This year’s theme is: ‘ Precision and Performance: Key factor in sustaining tourism business’.   The MICE show will host trade buyers and sellers through different meetings.

    According to the organisers and Managing Partner, Travellinks Holiday and Education Services, Canada, Mr Gbenga Oluboye, “We are expecting captains of the industries in the allied tourism sector from Nigeria and other African countries to participate in the conference.”

    The organisers revealed that one of those experts that will be attending the MICE show include Alain St, Ange; former Seychelles Minister for Tourism; Civil Aviation; Ports and Marine and authority in global tourism outlooks and projections.

  • Aaron Munetis to speak at Akwaaba Aviation Day

    Akwaaba African Travel Market has confirmed the participation of the newly appointed African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Director of Government, Legal and Industry Affairs, Aaron Munetis for this year’s Aviation Day.

    Aaron Munetsi, who has vast experience in the aviation industry, will be the lead speaker for the 2019 Akwaaba African Travel Market Aviation Day. He was the Regional General Manager-Africa and Middle East, South Africa Airways, SAA, and was responsible for business development and stakeholder management at all levels.

    The 15th edition of Akwaaba African Travel Market will be holding in Lagos from   September 23 to 24. The Aviation Day will be on the 24 by 10am at Eko Hotels and Suite. The Aviation Day paper is on ‘Impact of Airport Development and Airlines on Tourism Growth in Africa’. The 2019 Aviation Day is expected to take a critical look at the contribution of airports and airlines to drive tourism in countries across the globe and Africa in particular.

    Governments all over the world are becoming aware of the importance of tourism and the role it plays in contributing to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the development of the economy. It is believed that airlines drive tourism growth, with the examples of Kenya Airways and South Africa Airways.

    It is also believed that airports drive tourism growth, given the example that passenger volume surged by 25 per cent at the upgraded of Victoria Falls International Airport recently. The 2019 Akwaaba Aviation Day will x-ray the extent to which airport development and airlines drive tourism in Africa.

    The event will feature presentations by notable aviation and travel professionals in the industry on issues concerning the sector. It aims to stimulate discuss from renowned industry players in the Travel, Tourism and Aviation industry.

  • ‘Jollof Rice War, marketing strategy to showcase Africa’

    Tourism Development expert, Ikechi Uko, has described the popular Jollof Rice War as not a serious dispute, but a marketing strategy designed to push African products across the globe.

    Uko, who disclosed this recently at the 5th edition of Accraweizo with the theme: ‘Seamless Travels in West Africa,’ urged film producers to always showcase African destinations while shooting their films.

    Uko added that there is need to promote the pyramid tourism in the African regions so as to generate the touristic traffic within the continent.

    “Today, the experienced part of tourism includes food, entertainment, music and dance. Think of how we can make tourism out of marriages, weddings and even funeral tourism. We can also tour and party in places like Ghana”, he said.

    Commenting, Acting Group Manager as well as Central Office Sun International, Didier Bayeye, stated that entertainment plays a very vital role in tourism.

    According to Bayeye, Sun International offers both leisure and business tourism.

    The GM said: “Meeting incentive, conference and events contribute by showcasing or exposing what the people or the destination has to offer”.

  • Southern Sun marks Mandela’s Day, visits orphanage

    Southern Sun Ikoyi joined the rest of the world in celebrating the tenth Nelson Mandela International Day by visiting an orphanage, gifts to children of the Arrows of God Orphanage in Ajah, Lagos.

    The Nelson Mandela International Day also popularly known as the Mandela Day is an annual call of celebration observed internationally to pay tribute to an exemplary individual for his values, legacy and contribution to society and humanity at large.

    As is tradition for Southern Sun Ikoyi over the last ten years in celebrating the memory of the global icon “Madiba”, the hotel paid its annual visit to the Arrows of God Orphanage, which  it adopted in bringing smiles upon the faces of the children and their careers through the donation of various items ranging from toys, activity books, textbooks, educational games, inspirational books and light refreshments to the delight of the children of the home.

    Speaking during the visit, Sales and Marketing Manager, Southern Sun Ikoyi, Ubong Nseobot, expressed delight on the warm reception received by the representatives of the hotel during the visit, as she used the opportunity to specially thank the management and care givers of the home for their unwavering, dedicated and committed service towards improving the children of the ward.

    She stated that, “the visit by the hotel is in furtherance with the hotel’s selfless acts in contributing meaningfully to the sustained growth, development and service to all within our community through little acts of kindness and love, an exemplary practice which Mandela’s life represented.”

    Ubong, further reiterated the hotel’s commitment in supporting the orphanage and its management, through social projects such as the much-anticipated annual golf day tournament whose proceeds have been used in supporting the orphanage daily needs in ensuring that children at the home do not live without the basic necessities of life.

    The Arrows of God Orphanage ,which is located in Ajah, Lagos State, cares for about 250 children in the ward. Through support and efforts by corporate social entities like Southern Sun Ikoyi, the administration is empowered with required tools and materials to supporting and developing the children into valuable members of our society.

  • Tourism needs stand-alone ministry,says FTAN, ANJET

    As the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly begins the screening of nominated ministers, following the submission of the ministerial list by President Muhammadu Buhari to the upper house for consideration, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigerian (FTAN) and Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) and other industry stakeholders have renewed calls for President Buhari to reinstate the defunct Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

    The President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Alhaji  Saleh Rabo, while reacting on the clamour by stakeholders, said:  ”We call on President Buhari, as a matter of urgency to create a Ministry of Culture and Tourism so that tourism will be given its rightful place and attention and not made to play a second fiddle to information as we have seen display here today by the minister and his team who totally disregard our event for other matters that they rate above us and tourism.”

    According to Rabo, the only practical way to drive tourism at the national level is to have a minister for culture and tourism who will be fully focused on working with the various stakeholders and parastatals of the government in harnessing and developing the potential of the sector through policies and programmes initiation and implementation.

    Stressing that these were lacking in the last four years because the minister had so much on his plate and chose to focus attention on information and only turned to culture and tourism merely to make a political statement and not because he was interested in deepening the growth of the sector.

    He added:  “The minister’s preference for his information and political portfolios is the major reason why the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and other tourism stakeholders as well as culture workers are clamouring for a restoration of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture ahead of the new cabinet to be constituted by President Buhari”.

    According to ANJET, it will be a disservice to tourism and culture, if the Federal Government continues to ignore the calls for the defunct culture and tourism ministry that was created in 1999 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and  was later merged with information in 2015 by President Buhari .

    The body of travel and tourism writers stated that the experiences of countries reaping from the windfall of tourism and culture have shown that the only way out is to have a dedicated ministry at all levels for the creative industry and tourism in order to bring about a coordinated national approach and focus to bear on the sector.

    It further stated that the experiment with the information and culture ministry in the last four years did not achieve the desired goal as culture and tourism were treated as second fiddle to information. As a result of this, opportunities to develop the sector and upgrade the creative industry were missed and sacrificed on the altar of politics.

    The body  stated that there is no other better time than now when insecurity in the land has got to an alarming level that the country needs a separate ministry for culture and tourism, with the minister in charge focusing on the best mode of harnessing communication and marketing mix to drive the sector, infuse confidence in the source markets, both domestic and international, through the appropriate messaging mode.

    Stressing that having a minister of information and culture who most often sees himself as a government spokesperson, as it played out in the last four years, rather than a sales person and ambassador of tourism for the country and the creative industry, therefore better placed to shift through happenings in the land and present information with the right register and channel to impose confidence in the country, will not bode well for the country and the sector.

     

  • Al Mandoos set to pilot new UAE consulate

    Relationship between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is currently enjoying a very robust and bright prospect. Bilateral discussions in the last few months have been at the highest level.

    Last April, President Buhari was in the UAE at the invitation of the country’s Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rachid Al Maktoum.

    Of course, Dubai, one of the emirates that make up the country, is a preferred destination for Nigerians travelling for business and leisure.

    However, of recent, business activities between the other emirates and Nigerians are also on the ascendancy.  The volume of business activities between emirates like Ras Akhaimah and Sharjah have also increased. A pointer to this is the recent inaugural flight of Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, from Lagos to Sharjah.

    To complement this robust relationship, the UAE recently opened its consular office in Lagos officially on Thursday, July 13, 2019 under the leadership of His Excellency. DR. Abdulla Al Mandoos, the Consul General.

    The new Consul General, Dr. Abdullah is a man prepared for the job by virtue of his background and training. He holds a doctorate  in Management and Innovation from the Kuala Lumpur State University of Management in Malaysia, a Master in Total Quality Management and an Institutional Performance Management from Bradford University in the UK, a Bachelor of Public Administration from Ajman University of Technology and a Higher Diploma in Strategic Management from the State Vocational and Vocational Training College In London, in addition to the Higher Diploma and Diploma of Achievement in Applied Business Management from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Sharjah.

    He is also a holder  of  black belt in six Sigma. He  adds several practical certificates and specialized courses in the field of management and project implementation.

    Al Mandoos started his journey in the Foreign Affairs Ministry on 24th, April 2010 as a Diplomatic Officer in Economic Management and International Cooperation.

    Later on, he joined the Department of Finance to further develop the sector in addition to participating in a four- month programme diplomatic work in Washington – America.

  • ‘Why Nigeria is special to Ethiopian Airlines’

    Tewolde GebreMariam is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines. Recently, he was in Abuja for business discussions with the Presidency. He addressed the press on the activities of the airline in Nigeria. OKORIE UGURU was there. Excerpts:

    WE would like to know why you are suddenly visiting Nigeria. We would like to know whether there is something new that you are bringing on board that would be of benefit to Nigerians.

    We have maintained our presence in Nigeria in the last 60 years. We are probably as old as the nation itself. So, we will probably celebrate our 60 years flying to Nigeria soon. We are committed to the Nigerian market and the Nigerian people.

    As you know, Nigeria is an important market for us. It is not the most profitable, but an important market because there is this misconception that I want to clarify.

    We fly to Lagos and Abuja daily. These are our trunk routes, and we have very good traffic. But at the same time, we also fly to Kano and Enugu where we don’t make money. We lose money. Those two stations lose around 3 million dollars per annum, but overall, it is an important market for us. As you know in Enugu, we are the only international airline. So, it is a very challenging route for us.

    We fly three times a week, sometimes four times a week. We are very happy that the route has been a very connection for the Nigerians in the Diaspora- in Europe and America. It is a direct route for many Nigerian people, especially in the United States.

    We are also happy that it has been a very good bridge and trade link between Nigeria and Dubai, Bangkok, China and the other Asian countries. But it is a challenging route. The other challenging route for us is Kano. As you know, it is highly seasonal and the weather condition is very challenging for airlines like the Ethiopian Airlines, but with all the challenges, we have maintained our flights even at the cost of incurring losses.

    The other one, as you know, we’ve flown to Kaduna for more a year. Because it is very close to Abuja, we are not getting enough passengers. But we have done an excellent job maintaining Kaduna. When we started was when the Abuja airport was closed for renovation for about six weeks or eight. So, when we see it in retrospect, we may not value it, but at that time, the capital city of the largest country in Africa, Nigeria, was not to be connected to the rest of the world, until we decided to be the only international airline flying to Kaduna, connecting Abuja through Kaduna. We were very happy and proud to stand with our African brothers in times of challenge like this, and we’ve done it in the past also.

    So, to answer your question, why I am here. We’ve been discussing and exploring possibilities to establish or support a strong airline in Nigeria. I don’t mean that there is no strong airline in Nigeria, but an airline which can satisfy the demand of the domestic market, regional market and the international market. Nigeria is a very large country not only by land mass, but also the largest population and Nigerians travel a lot, highly educated people.

    I remember during my time in New York, the best doctors in New York were Nigerians. But unfortunately, since the demise of the Nigerian Airways, we are unfortunate that we don’t have a strong carrier. So, this concern is part of a continental concern. Among the carriers in Africa, foreign carriers, that is the non-African carriers have the biggest share of the market. So, it is around 80 to 20 per cent. 80 per cent of the traffic between Africa and the rest of the world is carried by non-African carriers, foreign carriers.

    The indigenous home grown carriers have only 20 per cent of the market. This is not fair. It used to be 60 per cent some 20 years ago. It was coming down; so, it is still coming down. We are also threatened because all of us in Africa are 20 per cent of the market. So, in a declining trend, tomorrow there is a possibility that the market share can be zero. They will wipe out all of us. So, we have to make sure that we work together with all African country to see that there are strong, home grown indigenous African carriers.  We have done this in some other countries. We have done this with Asky in Togo. We established the Asky in 2010, and now Asky is a fairly successful airline operating in West and Central Africa, and now they also fly to South Africa.

    Soon they will also fly to Paris and China. But we could have done that here in Nigeria and we want to do that in Nigeria. We are also negotiating with the Ghanaian government to re-start Ghana Airways, but the biggest market here, has been challenging to be honest with you.

    We are now discussing with some private initiatives. We are also discussing with the Nigerian government. There are promising indications, making good progress. But at the end of the day, we want to see a very strong Nigerian carrier which can satisfy the domestic, regional and international demands. This is because when Nigerians travel to Europe, the use European carrier.

    We want Nigerian carriers to compete with the European carriers so that people have more options; so that the prices will come down; so that the Nigerians in the Diaspora in the United States do not have to travel via Europe changing airplanes, baggage lost and also transit hassles. Nigeria is a big country; we want to connect it with its major trading partners through direct flights just as we have in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the second largest population on the continent.

    So, this is the project we are working on.

    You mentioned the poor presence of African carriers compared to Europe and other parts of the world. How can we overcome this?

    I think the Single African Air Transport Market will help because it will promote connectivity within Africa. We all remember when South-West Airlines was established some 40 years ago. It was competing with buses in the state of Texas. So, it stimulated air transport. It enabled more and more people to afford air transport.

    Here in Africa, there are people who travel between countries and within countries, but they cannot afford air transport and air transport is not readily available, not readily accessible for the average person. So, we want to make sure that whatever is available to the average person in Europe and America, can be done here in Africa.

    Right now, it is a vicious circle; people are not travelling as much as we would want. They volume is not there, why? Because the price is very high.

    Why is the price very high? One, cost of infrastructure is very high. Taxes are very high; cost of fuel is very high and tax on fuel is very high. At times, as an airline, you are unable to fly from point A to point B within the continent without restrictions. So, these are the obstacles.

    The single African  Air Transport Market is going to resolve this because at least they will be able to fly from point A to point B, within the continent, without any restrictions. So, it will be a single market.

  • Turkish air adds Bali route

    Turkish Airlines has inaugurated its direct flights between its home base Istanbul and Bali, Indonesia. The scheduled flight commenced on July 17, 2019.

    Having operated with the airlines’ first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which joined to its ever-expanding fleet a few weeks ago, TK 066 coded first flight conducted with 84 per cent load factor and carried 250 passengers.

    Commenting on newly commenced Istanbul-Bali flights, Turkish Airlines Senior Vice President Sales (2nd Region), Kerem Sarp said: “While our new generation aircraft continuing to join our fleet, we feel highly encouraged to launch new direct flights to farther destinations in the world. By inaugurating direct flights to Bali, our second destination in Indonesia, we keep strengthening our mission to reach all corners of the world.”

    Bali, Indonesia’s most popular holiday island, is flooded by tourists and explorers from around the world every year. Welcoming its guests with its exotic nature, the city offers cultural richness with its historical temples and palaces.

    Volcanoes and tropical forests in the inner parts of the city are the source of unforgettable memories for travellers going to the city.

    The centre of the island increases its charm with its cultural and exotic beauties as well as its beaches.

  • Sheraton marks Lasagna Day

    Sheraton Hotels Lagos and Abuja have announced that the hotels will celebrate the Lasagna Day in the month of July and also offer Italian cuisines to their guests.

    The Area General Manager for Marriott Hotels in Nigeria, Barry Curran, said: “For our valued guests visiting in July, our Sheraton Lagos Hotel teams have come up with a line- up of delightsome and inspiring culinary options; one such activity is the commemoration of the World Lasagna Day.

    “On  July 29, the hotels will mark the World Lasagna Day  where all guests who dine at our Italian restaurant will get a portion of lasagna with every order that they make. We believe that by doing this, everyone will get a chance to taste this delicacy which our chefs are renowned for.

    “For our little tots, we are delighted to offer every child who checks in with their parents or dines during Sunday brunch, two inspiring coloring sheets to keep them busy. At the end of their stay or meal, the children get to put one of their colouring sheets on the hotels children board of fame, while they keep the other one. The coloured sheets get to stay on the board for a month where the kids can see it and feel proud each time they visit.

    “At Sheraton Abuja Hotel, Lasagna Day will equally be a special one as our teams will celebrate this day at our bustling Pool Bar and  Restaurant. We encourage all families and friends to sit back, relax and be inspired by the ambience at the pool side while you share a meal and catch up with loved ones.