As NANTA Identifies Ways to Higher Growth in 2025

Chinedu Eze

In the New Year 2025, the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has promised to reinforce its ethos to streamline the operations of members in line with the rule of engagement in their trade to build stronger goodwill in the sub-sector and sideline questionable members that do not abide by the rules.

NANTA in 2025 may become member of World Tourism Organisation (WTO) as it is currently engaging in discussions with the world body, which will bring more influence and capacity to the organisation.

In the New Year, NANTA said it will conduct National Towns-Hall Meeting in February 2028; establish new partnerships with Chambers of Commerce and Brands whose products add value to members; re-activate the Industry Working Group to enhance internal engagements; facilitate the International Travel and Tourism Conference (ITTC) – 2025 and schedule strategic engagements with all industry stakeholders till the organisation’s key concerns are fully addressed.

While reviewing its activities in 2024 and projecting its activities in 2025, the NANTA President, Mr.  Yinka Folami, said the agency would expand its scope of impact and influence through partnerships with both African and global bodies with rich value propositions for NANTA

NANTA is renewing membership with the Universal Federation of Travel Agents (UFTAA), and the process will be completed by January 2025, with the desire to be a strong voice in UFTAA

Folami said: “The year 2024 was good because you all, as supportive members, trusted the voice, action, and even the noiselessness of leadership. Our collective strength is always in our unity, shared commitment to excellence, and all-inclusive prosperity. We will, through our best, insist to effect the outcomes we desire.

Looking back to the immediate past year, NANTA identified some pitfalls and issues that tend to retard Nigeria’s economy and the value of its currency, the naira. NANTA noted that the USD sales in Nigeria by Emirates Airlines did not go down well with its members.

“Our position being that this is anti-competitive; it excludes the Naira (our sovereign currency) and a major segment of our trade. We have respectfully advised this position to NCAA, CBN, IATA (the International Air Transport Association), and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, requesting to also accommodate ‘Naira based transactions’.

“We maintained open communication channels with NCAA and government to address trapped funds with the suspended Dana Airlines providing a detailed schedule of affected businesses to ensure refunds. Both formally and physically. NCAA, on behalf of the government, has assured the travel community of her ongoing actions to ensure that due refund is made to all affected members and customers.”

Looking at travel business in Nigeria, NANTA said with respect to anti-competitive practices and key concerns in the nation’s market such as cross-border trading (eroding our market through its circumventing and extractive nature), lingering disparity between fares published online and on GDS, NANTA has formally communicated (in writing, through closed and open engagements) to all industry stakeholders stating its position and making recommendations.

“We have begun to see responses, and we will continue to advocate through the media and every viable channel to address these systemic issues that undermine the growth of our market. We observed that some airlines have begun to adjust their practices and policies to favor the Nigerian travel market. Our advocacy is relentless,” he said.

Pledging his commitment to its members, the NANTA President said, “As an administration committed to accountability and transparency, we take up the responsibility to report to the trade, on our collective milestones within established timelines. Building on our First 100-Days in Office report, we are pleased to present our 2024 Year-End Report. This report highlights the significant progress made in advancing our trade and outlines our future plans/commitments as we invite your feedback to inform our collective efforts and drive for further success.

Following the inauguration of NANTA Committees at the first 100-Days event, all eight NANTA committees were fully activated, with key officers (Chairmen and Secretaries) of each committee duly elected and terms of reference including core mandates for respective committees clarified. Committees are now fully functional to explore and implement initiatives that are consistent with the overall goals of NANTA.

In terms of partnership and collaborations, Folami said the new management has forged strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to address the systemic issues that conflict with NANTA three-pronged vision for the trade – Fair Play, Protection of the Market, and strengthening NANTA to become a great travel trade organisation.

He said that NANTA partnered with Federal Competition and consumer Protection Council (FCCPC).

“We signed and implemented a landmark partnership with FCCPC, to aid our trade and align consumer protection practices with global best practices; putting Consumerism (consumer welfare, consumer rights, and consumer protection) at the heart of our dealings with principals/trade partners and within our trade,” he further said.

NANTA has also reached consensus with IATA to provide training and capacity development for its members on ADM (agency debit memo)and refunds under the BSP (Billings and Settlement Plan) framework

On African collaboration, Folami said: “Though our engagements with our African counterparts reveal that Africa awaits Nigeria to address and extinguish some market anomalies like cross-border trading and other anti- competitive practices, NANTA has further strengthened relationships with African Associations such as the African Business Travel Association (ABTA), Association of Eastern and Southern Africa Travel Associations (AESATA), Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA), Cote d’ Ivoire Association of Travel Agents (CATA) to align market directions/focus, enhance intra Africa development through travel and tourism; by deploying uniform strategies/interventions through collaboration. By this, we have expanded our frontiers of influence and impact within Africa.”

Explaining NANTA collaboration with the Gambia Tourism Board, the NANTA President explained that upon invitation from the Gambian government, modalities for formal partnership with the Gambia Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism in Gambia are now in process to finalize, adding that discussions that would initiate plans for NANTA International Travel and Tourism Conference (ITTC) 2025, “are ongoing as the conference is aimed at equipping our members professionally and promoting intra-Africa development through travel and tourism.”

On advocacy, interventions, and stakeholder engagements, Folami said: “Understanding our role as first level regulatory body for the travel trade, we have intervened through courtesy visits and formally documented communications with various stakeholders like the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, NCAA, FCCPC, FAAN, CBN, IATA, airlines and GDS companies on key concerns that affect the Nigerian market, with a view to firmly stating our informed position, providing recommendations, and seeking redress/interventions.”

The NANTA President also disclosed that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, invited NANTA to provide position on the Fly Nigeria Bill 2024 to communicate her position on behalf of the travel trade, indicating that NANTA strongly communicated support for the Bill.