* NANTA National President, Mr. Bankole bernard
…Says It Has Turned Travel Agents To Tourism Managers
The National President, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) , Mr Bankole Bernard, has said that the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport(NAA), Abuja, only runway for six weeks beginning from March 8,201,is an opportunity in disguise.
This is just as he stated that the closure has made the association members, who hitherto concentrate solely on selling airlines’ tickets tourism managers.
Bernard stated this while speaking with select journalists at NANTA headquarters at Fadeyi, Lagos, on the forth coming association’s 41st Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos.
The NANTA boss said the closure is an opportunity in disguise if only ‘we take a critical look at it , adding that it has also give people to not only to go to Kaduna but also explore the potential therein.
According to him, “It has given an opportunity to travel agencies who hitherto just sell airlines’ tickets to become tour managers. The airport and the people have benefited from the planned closure of Abuja Airport by the Federal Government.”
He stated that the closure of the Abuja Airport would also create opportunity for tourism to thrive, as it would make people to learn certain things they hitherto know about Kaduna Airport in particular and the state in general.
Bernard contended that because of the impending closure of Abuja Airport and the choice of Kaduna Airport as alternate Airport, the road leading to Kaduna Airport and facilities that would bring about safer flight operations have been installed.
On his one year in office, he said, “We have achieved to a very large extent. We achieved by letting the government to know that there is an association that takes care of the downstream sector. We have also create a whole lot of awareness in the minds of the people and they now know that NANTA exist”
He continued, “We have let them realise that NANTA members are not touts but professionals . Today, our members have stepped up their level of professionalism and we happy that a lot of people are listening to us. The new NANTA has been able to build relationships and also make its voice heard.”
On the takeover of the embattled Arik Air by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria(AMCON), Bernard stated that the association thank God for the intervention , adding that what the corporation did was to prevent Arik Air from dropping from the sky .
The NANTA’s number one man further posited that the association met with the new management and that based on the meeting, the damage AMCON met on ground was far more than what people thought.
According to him, “I can tell you that the damage they met on ground is far more than we think. I thank God the Federal Government intervened. Don’t forget that Arik Air’s London office had gone down before AMCON got there. It does not speak well of the country but we are glad government intervened.”
“AMCON was set up to take care of failing companies, which companies in the aviation industry are not isolated from. I think the government took a precautionary action to ensure that Arik Air planes are not dropping from the sky” He added.
Also speaking, the1st Deputy President, NANTA Mrs Susan Akporiaye, said that what NANTA intend to do when Abuja Airport is closed is to assist members, adding that though some people have said that they would not travel during the six weeks period, association’s members, she added don’t need to close down their businesses.
Akporiaye explained that instead the association has directed its members to explore and show case what Kaduna has to offer, adding that the 41st AGM would give opportunity to tell people that during recession there are things to learn and gain from .
She posited that a lot of NANTA members are making money from organising local tourism, adding that presently local tourism is going on .
The 1st Deputy President urged government to develop data base of the number of tourism sites so that these sites can be promoted for tourist whether local or international to visit, stressing that this what the association has been preaching.
She said that there are some tourism sites which people are not aware of because they were not publicised, adding that if publicity is not given to these places, people will not know what is happening and where, as it concerns tourism
Vice President, Lagos Zone, Mrs Adeola Adewole, stated that while the Abuja Airport is closed, NANTA AGM would provide opportunity to tell the Federal Government that tourism can be used to diversify the economy.
She added that while the Abuja Airport remain closed, government would be told that tourism and aviation can lead us out of recession in the August meeting scheduled for March 21
Adewole stated that the coming AGM would provide opportunity to discuss the way forward for tourism in the country and that Nigeria need statistics to back whatever is been done, adding that that is the only way the potential in tourism can ne harnessed.
The Federal Government, she stated has a huge role to play in the development of tourism, but lamented that a situation where government don’t even talk about tourism, it would be difficult to sell the tourism sites that abound in all parts of the country.
According to her, “Government has a huge role to play in developing tourism. I agree we need statistics but when you have a government that is not talking about tourism, these places will not sell.”
