ATPN, NANTA take toursim message to government

Last week, two prominent tourism associations Presidents led their top members to the government to drive engagement towards sustaining tourism development in Nigeria. Though held at separate times and at different levels of leadership, their efforts were seen as progressive and the best way to go since our leaders at government level sometime do not have all the answers that can take us to the next tourism level or shape the proper tourism architecture for Nigeria.

While the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) knocked at the doors of Minister of Tourism and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the freshly energized and tourism change advocacy driven National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (Nanta) flew on its wings of professionalism to meet with Mrs. Chika Balogun, Director-General National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR).

On Nanta’s team led by its President Bankole Bernard were Executive Secretary Sylvester Olobor Osaro, National treasurer Mr. Zachary Abdullahie, Vice President Abuja, Mr. Abdumalik Hassan and VP, North, Alhaji Kabir Maiwada, 2^nd National Deputy President while ATPN was led to see the minister by its President Kabir Malan and on his entourage were popular Lagos based tourist boat operator, Ganiyu Balogun (aka Tarzan), John Best and Mallam Zuru, a tourism technocrat and retired top gun at NTDC. Therefore, what you are about to read here were the significant tourism issues raised by the association at those visits.

ATPN tourism nuggets to the minister  

Review the Tourism Master Plan(TMP) to address realities on ground, engage practitioners to help drive tourism and power a zero –digit tourism loan to grow tourism investments, Alhaji Kabir Malan hinged as the way to go on these factors, praying the minister to sustain the tempo on tourism development in Nigeria. He also praised the minister for his recent trip to Madrid, Spain to engage the UNWTO but calls for “charity to begin (first) at home”.

My all is to tourism – Lai Mohammed

Responding to the ‘basket’ of requests from ATPN, the minister in a silent message to those who criticized his obsession to government information, told his visitors that he has done more for tourism than culture or information, nothing, “tourism has taken more of my time, in fact, am for tourism development and had shown and will continue to drive its capacity as a business and not “Owambe” as some people seem to ascribe to it.

Don’t mind America, their cities harbour nest of bombers and rapists.

Disappointed by a recent Travel Advisor from the American government against 28 Nigerian states as places to avoid, Lai Mohammed advised Nigerians and its leaders particularly to avoid American cities as they also harbour more bombers, cranks, robbers and rapists than ever before.

Towards this end and in tandem with ATPN’s call for tourism charity to begin from home, the HMT advised Nigerians to drive visits across our vast virgin tourist locations, promising to embark on first hand visits across the six geopolitical zones to learn and appreciate “Tourism clusters” as captured by TMP.

Tourism fund births in NASS?

A draft legislation to back effective funding for the sector is in the works and the minister disclosed that he would give all political support to yet unnamed House Representative Member who is presenting the draft bill.

Aregbeshola “groves” for Oshun

The state of Osun is about to put spanners in the smooth running of Oshun Oshogbo as it wants the grove back from the management of National Museums and Monuments. Though the minister hinted that he is yet to heed the request for the return of the grove, its poor management by NM & M is the “Ogbono Soup” that provided the alleged slippery demand for the state of Osun request for its return. However, a tourism bird told me that Aregbe is broke and he is eyeing the revenue content of the festival, promoted and marketed successfully over the years by Ota-Oja of Oshogbo in council.

Training spreads prosperity – Nanta

Nanta President, Bankole Bernard highlighted training and retaining of his members as the focal point of his administration when he engaged the cerebral and detectable boss of NIHOTOUR, Chika Balogun at her office in Abuja. According to Bankole, whose highly publicized and effective tourism advocacy visits to NASS, Presidency and media stakeholders have upped national tourism discourse in recent times, professionalising the travel trade business would not only check the rise and rise of fraudsters and fly-by-night operators but would positively create wealth and spread prosperity. He told his host to get NIHOTOUR to partner with Nanta leadership to develop special tourism and travel courses that will keep his members abreast of fresh development in the very dynamic and sensitive sector.

Industry data, Certification, – the future of the business – NIHOTOUR boss

Impressed by Bankole leadership of Nanta is less than three months in office, NIHOTOUR boss commended him and his exco for coming on board with an “agenda”, a development she observed would set Nanta apart from others. She however asked Nanta to help play down fears from its members whenever data of operations are requested by NIHOTOUR as it helps in planning and projection and should not seen as tool for revenue or tax generation by government.

She promised to immediately raise a team to visit and work with Nanta on all areas of agreement at the meeting with the need to begin preparation in earnest.

Give us Nanta Air – Chika Balogun

Taken in by the score card of Bankole Bernard led Nanta, Chika Balogun prays to witness the day that Nanta could float an airline not just to open window of revenue generation but to show bench mark expectations in service delivery in the aviation sector. The Nanta Air challenge which got Nanta President, Bankole Bernard thinking hard, appeared as Chike Balogun’s progressive endorsement of Nanta as the best organised industry body in Nigeria.

Nanta in 3hrs secret meeting with Runsewe:

Bankole and his team came out smiling after a 3hours meeting with wave making former DG of NTDC Otunba Segun Runsewe at his Wuze 2 office in Abuja. Prodded, Bankole said “we came to appreciate Runsewe’s contribution to tourism and also to learn and ask for advice of how we can market and promote tourism in Nigeria, adding “Nigeria needs his experience now, he is practical and what we saw, made us proud to associate with this tourism enigma”.

Air France/KLM, Amadeus are Nanta Friendly

Air France/KLM and Amadeus threw their support behind the effective running of Eastern zone of Nanta in Port Harcourt as the five zone structured association opened its office after over thirty years.

Bankole who commissioned the duplex office, commended Air France/KLM and Amadeus for identifying with “new” Nanta and called on all registered operators to engage more among themselves now that there is meeting place. He also appreciated Mrs. Iheoma Ubani, Nanta VP, Eastern zone and National auditor, Mr. Chima Ihe James for their dogged efforts to birth the new office. Mr. Peyo Labeguerie of Air France/KLM and Steve Isokariari, Chairman Nanta BOT was on hand to join Bankole to cut the tape.