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Tag: Nanta

  • Lagos NANTA signs MoU with Eko Hotels

    Lagos NANTA signs MoU with Eko Hotels

    The Lagos zone of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Eko Hotels and Suites. 

    The partnership aims to showcase Nigeria’s rich tourism potential to global audience while offering exclusive benefits to both organizations.

    Speaking on the partnership, Director of Sales and Marketing at Eko Hotels and Suites, Dr. Iyadunni Gbadebo, said the MoU formalises a framework that leverages strengths of both NANTA and Eko Hotels in promoting tourism, hospitality, and cultural experiences. 

    Gbadebo noted that the MoU reflects a shared vision to enhance marketing efforts and position Nigeria as a prime destination for local and international travelers.

    “The MoU will highlight Nigeria’s diverse attractions and cultural heritage. NANTA will add tremendous value to Eko Hotels’ efforts to expand its reach and effectively showcase the unique experiences we offer.”

    IVice President of NANTA Lagos Zone, Yinka Olapade expressed excitement about the success that lies ahead through the collaboration. 

    He highlighted the upcoming ‘Tropical Christmas Wonderland’ event, titled “The Theatre of Lights” which Eko Hotels will launch in December 2024. 

    Read Also: Taraba, Algorand sign MoU on Blockchain Technology

    He said, “This event will tell the African story of Christmas through a vibrant display of lights, cultural performances, ice skating, movie screenings, and other exciting activities to captivate local and international visitors.

    “This partnership not only strengthens Nigeria’s tourism appeal but also supports the economy by attracting visitors during the festive season and promoting local attractions. I am particularly excited about the immense opportunities this collaboration holds for NANTA members and the success that lies ahead,” Mr. Olapade stated.

    He stated that with the MoU, NANTA members now have access to better deals and exclusive offerings for hotel accommodations, allowing them to deliver premium hospitality services to their clients and enhance the overall travel experience.

    He however said agreement is effective immediately, and both parties are eager to implement the outlined initiatives.

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  • NTDC, NANTA partner on domestic tourism

    NTDC, NANTA partner on domestic tourism

    Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mr. Folorunsho Coker, has called for redefinition of the tourism industry in the country.
    He said the corporation’s focus was on domestic tourism that would make the best use of what we have and consume.
    Coker spoke while receiving an eight-man delegation of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), at the corporation’s headquarters in Abuja. He sought a deal between the private and the public sectors for the promotion of tourism, noting that the partnership would boost tourism.
    He expressed the readiness of the corporation to be a worthy partner of NANTA in championing tourism, and collaborate with the association in statistics and data collection to enable private investors know which state has potential to explore and develop.
    NANTA’s National President Mr. Bankole Bernard described the appointment of Coker as a blessing to the sector, saying: “I am sure that the good work he did with Lagos tourism would be replicated in the 36 states of Nigeria.”
    Bernard, however, expressed dissatisfaction on the manner in which the promotion of tourism was being managed in Nigeria, saying: “Tourism has not been well developed, promoted and packaged because the country had wholly depended and focused on the oil sector. Tourism is everything. We all have to embrace it and take it seriously”.
    NANTA National President, who called for a conscious investment in the promotion of domestic tourism, described Nigeria as a potential tourism market, with a vibrant and dynamic business environment, especially with the improved Nigeria’s image under this administration.

  • Former NANTA publicity secretary for burial next week

    FORMER National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA),  Dr. Charity Chikodi  Iriobe,  who died in November last year in United States of America (USA)  will be laid to rest next week.

    In a release signed by her husband, Captain Victor Iriobe, her remains will be buried at Ebony Vaults,  Alagbon Close,  Ikoyi.

    Until her death,  Dr Iriobe was a lecturer in the Department of Educational Foundation, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, Akoka.

    Before moving over to the academia, Dr. Iriobe was a successful tourism practitioner and consultant, erstwhile Managing Director Odafane Travel and Tours Limited and former Publicity Secretary of the NANTA.

    Her funeral rite begins on January 19 with a commendation service at the University of Lagos main auditorium by 9. 00 am and later there will be a service of songs and Christian wake at the VGC Recreation Park from 5 p.m.

  • 300,000 jobs ‘ll be lost if foreign airlines leave Nigeria, says NANTA

    THE National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies ( NANTA) has said the country would lose about 300, 000 jobs if the foreign airlines stop flying into Nigeria as a result of the $591 million foreign airlines money trapped in Nigerian banks.

    Speaking during a press conference at the NANTA House in Lagos, NANTA President, Mr. Bankole Benard, called on the airlines not to rush in withdrawing their services as the action would further deepen the current crisis which will affect 300, 000 jobs in the aviation sector, both upstream and down stream.

    Bankole said the development was going to affect every body ,the travel agencies, government and the general public, stressing that if a ticket that supposed to be issued in Nigeria is issued in Ghana, the government will lose money.

    He said: “The government is equally losing revenue to neighbouring countries as tickets can be purchased from outside the country and once that is done, the taxes on such tickets will not go to the government through the withholding tax which they would have benefited from such transaction.”

    While calling on the government to resolve the matter quickly, Bankole noted that the aviation industry contributes to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

    Bernad also observed that if the industry is allowed to go down, it will affect the country as it will lead to more job loss like what is happening in the banking industry.

    He, however, informed that the federal government has already instructed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to come up with a flexible foreign exchange policy that will assist airlines to repatriate their funds.

    NANTA boss stated that he is trying to build on what the previous executives have done.

  • NANTA advocates consolidation for members

    The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has advocated the need for travel agencies in the country to embrace consolidation as it is the practice globally.

    Its National President, Alhaji Aminu Agoha, who made the call  in Lagos, said  if consolidation is properly handled and successfully implemented by  parties, it would not only reposition the parties to face the future challenges but it would  also minimise agency default.

    Agoha said consolidation is in vogue globally, adding that travel agencies cannot be different.

    He spoke at the association’s forum  in Lagos while presenting a paper  with the theme, “Consolidation in the Travel Industry: The Way Forward”

    Agoha emphasised that there is the need for a stronger relationship among members, stressing that it would further help to move the industry forward.

    On the newly-built secretariat, Agoha said it was a dream come true, and it has been the dream of the association to have a building of its own.

    The project, he said, was done on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis, which would not have been possible without the collective efforts of members.

    Speaking at the forum, the Country Manager, British Airways, Mr Kola Olayinka, urged NANTA to study what obtained in other climes as it concerns consolidation, noting that with consolidation, the experience of two or three agencies would bring the best out of them.

    On his part, the Managing Director of Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, said  the issue of trust must be critically looked at when considering consolidation as it is the greatest challenge facing business operation in the country.

    He argued that for two parties to consolidate, there must be trust between them ,adding that if trust is not there the business may not last long before it goes under.

    Ms Bunmi Acher of Leadway Assurance Company posited that transparency has very important role to play in the course of travel agencies trying to consolidate.

    NANTA’s  Board of Trustees (BoT), Chairman, Mr Akintunde Akala,  said  travel agents are not responsible for the increase in airfare as being speculated in some quarters.

    Akala posited that sometimes, the taxes are usually more than the basic cost of the ticket, adding that sometimes taxes represent up to 70 per cent. He said: “I am not of that opinion. We can’t and we have no say in that actually. For example,  if you look at your ticket, apart from the basic fare which you pay, all the airlines imposed charges; you pay for security, you pay for fuel, you pay for insurance, you pay all those ones to the airlines, you pay to all the countries you over fly, you pay when you pass through their airports, all these taxes go out of the country to foreign governments. The only thing that remains here apart from the five per cent sales tax which goes to the government and the airport tax which goes to FAAN, everything is on your ticket.

    “Sometimes the taxes are usually more than the basic cost of the ticket. Sometimes taxes can represent 70 per cent of the value you see in your ticket. For example, when you have promos; we say, we have promos $399 or $499 and by the time they come to the final cost, it will come to about N159, 000. So, that is it; agents have nothing to do with the   rise in air fare.”

    On the major challenge, the travel agencies in the country are facing, Akala said  it is unfair competition from their principal, as intending passengers now book online to get cheaper airfare.

    On the cost of NANTA secretariat, he could not give the specific amount, except to say that the association spent a lot of money on the property.

  • SA Tourism signs trade agreement with NANTA

    SOUTH Africa’s tourism credentials as a leisure destination were put on full display at this year’s AKWAABA travel and trade show. During the three-day show, the South African Tourism team promoted the country to West African visitors to the fair.

    Thulani Nzima, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of  South African Tourism, says: “Regional Africa and in particular the East and West African regions, continue to be key growth markets for us. We have invested considerable resources in growing tourist arrivals from this region to South Africa.

    “Our participation at this year’s AKWAABA show served as the perfect platform for us to continue building and strengthening partnerships with the outbound sector of the Regional African tourism industry and with our partners in media and the travel trade who give South Africa fantastic support in destination marketing and sales. It also gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the best of our leisure offering to the rest of the continent and to the broader global industry that recognises the potential of Africa’s future.”

    West Africa, more specifically, Nigeria, and South Africa have enjoyed a long-standing and fruitful partnership. The two countries have many times spoken of their resolve to strengthen relations and work together for the long-term betterment of an economically vibrant African continent. Travel and tourism have been identified as a key driver in unbridling this potential..

    “The travel trade are a critical component to the work that we do. During AKWAABA we officially announced our partnership with the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) who will help boost tourist arrivals growth from Nigeria to South Africa by developing a range of packages to suit the Nigerian traveller,” explains Nzima.

    This partnership, he says, is a significant milestone and one which we believe will go far in reaffirming our commitment to bolstering the economic relations between Nigeria and South Africa. It will also give us access to a wide audience of discerning travellers who contribute significantly to South Africa’s growth.

    Growth in Regional African arrivals has been driving growth of South Africa’s tourism industry for many years now. Tourist arrivals to South Africa from Nigeria in particular have enjoyed a steady incline.  A total of 84, 589 Nigerian tourists visited South Africa last year.

  • Airlines are hurting our business, says NANTA

    The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies has decried the unfair treatment being meted out to them by airlines.

    According to the association’s national president, Alhaji Aminu Agoha, despite the huge amount money the NANTA is making for the airlines, S1.03bn, the airlines still go ahead to undercut the travel agency operators.

    He said: “Although NANTA enjoys a good relationship with some of the airlines, most of them are still operating in direct competition with travel agencies and all efforts to get them relocate their sales offices to the airports have proved abortive. Most of the airlines even sell tickets direct to corporate bodies which is a violation of the standard practice. All airlines on BSP should be compelled to close their city sales offices and move to the airports as it is the practice all over the world.

    “The airlines have continued to post cheaper fares on the internet than the ones on the travel agencies’ booking platform. This means that as the accredited agents of the airlines, our fares tend to be more expensive than those of the airlines. The airlines charge the Nigerian travellers taxes which have no basis. We appeal to this distinguished committee to compel the airlines to desist from these sharp practices.”

    He continued: “With a workforce of over 5000 Nigerians, the travel agencies account for 75 per cent of the capital sales revenue of about $1.5b for the year 2011. But regrettably enough, the major airlines do not pay our members commissions on tickets sales; rather they remit all the money to their home countries. This is capital flight and an attempt to kill the downstream sector of the aviation industry.

    “Most of the airlines do not give our members withholding tax receipts for taxes collected on their behalf. This is partly because most of them trade with the money instead of remitting it to the FIRS.

    “In order to force down prices in the interim, airlines should be compelled to immediately abolish the fuel tax surcharge and a technical committee set up by government to review the cost components of the airfares.”

  • Agm 2013: Atqnews.com partners Nanta

    Atqnews.com, the online travel news portal, will partner the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA) for its 2013 annual general meeting,taking place in Lagos from April 18 as its online media partner.

    NANTA is the largest travel association in West Africa with over 1,000 members all around Nigeria. With Alhaji Aminu Agoha as its president, NANTA is at the forefront of growing the travel and tourism business in Nigeria.

    Promising a worthwhile event, the National Publicity Secretary, Mrs Ngozi Ngoka of Zigonia Travels, said: “There will be an overwhelming and fantastic representation by all travel professionals in Nigeria, especially the airlines beyond what NANTA has had in the past”.

    The partnership will see Atqnews.com propagating NANTA and its AGM to its subscribers globally. According to the publisher of Atqnews.com, Mr Ikechi Uko, “this is the first partnership we are doing in Nigeria. Already we have such partnerships with Zambia and UNWTO programmes in Africa”.

    Atqnews.com , a member of Travel Media Group, is the online platform for African Travel Quarterly (ATQ), the first travel magazine in West Africa which solely focuses on travel and tourism issues.

    Atqnews.com features reports that cover a wide range of topics within the travel and tourism sectors which are intended for an ever-increasing and passionate audience of readers and travellers from all over the world.

    Our reports and stories come from a multitude of professional travel and tourism journalists, experts and enthusiastic contributors who focus on travel corporations, tour organizations and business events and news that relate to our areas of focus; forecasts, market and political analysis which observe developments and in the areas of travel, transport and tourism from a global perspective, and the impact of these on the economies of countries in creating employment, appreciating nature’s blessing on mankind and the need for their preservation for posterity. ATQnews.com specializes on news about Africa and Travels with one of the largest databases of Travel professionals in West Africa. It is your most reliable source of African Travel news.