The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), on Wednesday, said its 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM), slated to hold in Kano, will feature the Durbar festival, Nigeria’s most spectacular horse parade.
Mrs Susan Akporiaye, NANTA’s National President, told the Newsmen, on the sideline of a press briefing held in Lagos, that the festival promises to be an eventful one as the association had taken over as the official marketer and promoter of the ancient festival.
She said the AGM would run from March 23 to March 25, while the Durbar festival would hold on March 23.
According to reports, the Durbar festival is an annual cultural, religious, and equestrian festival celebrated in several cities in northern Nigeria.
“We are set to hold our AGM in Kano, and the association’s election will also hold as well as the Durbar festival,” she said.
Akporiaye said, during the AGM, the association would be addressing issues of Anti-trust policies, under the theme “Anti-trust: Opportunities Available for Protection of the Nigerian Travel Market”.
She said Anti-trust provision must be discussed as this would boost and protect local content, discourage monopolies as well as encourage open access to premium content.
According to her, Wakanow, a travel and tourism firm, will be collaborating with NANTA in some activities during the AGM.
“We are committed to ensuring professionalism among travel agents and there is a compelling need to eradicate touts to gain respect as true professionals.
“We are trying to protect our industry’s local content, therefore, empowering our own,” she said.
Akporiaye, who disclosed her intention to go for her second tenure, said she had delivered on her four-point agenda of uniting members of the association.
She said that during her leadership, doors of opportunities were opened for income generation for members. We also gained approval from the Emir of Kano to make NANTA the official marketer of the Durbar festival.
She noted that synergies had been opened up to increase the members’ income which was the memorandum of understanding with Senegal Tourism Board to open up that destination for tourism growth.
“Egypt has also given NANTA the mandate to process tourists’ visas, giving our members more packages.
“We now have a training and capacity building committee which has been registered and will later translate to NANTA’s training school,” she said.
Mr Yinka Folami, NANTA’s Vice President, said Akporiaye’s administration had been strong in advocacy, unity and partnerships with stakeholders.
“Through this, NCAA had approved an industry compliance committee where stakeholders will address issues relating to the aviation sector.
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