…….2020 was a nightmare, fearful
President, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, NANTA, Susan Akporiaye has commended the Federal Government for opening identifying with their pains, dreams and aspirations with the palliatives of N196m to the body.
Speaking at the first quarter news briefing in Lagos, the NANTA president said, 2020 was nightmarish, brutish, unexpected and fearful for its members.
“The pandemic impact on global travel and consequent impact on Nigeria Travel trade sector was a road to Gethsemane”.
Akporiaye stated that the government palliative was a breath of fresh air for them, adding that this was the first time in history the government was felt their pains.
” We must salute the courage and doggedness of Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation on a lot of fronts in repositioning the industry and the travel trade sector. Mr. Sirika is a true round peg in a round hole and NANTA salute this exceptional public officer”.
She adds,” the Federal government through the ministry of Aviation and Nigerian civil aviation authority, NCAA, intervened to give us hope and stabilize certain measures of policy matters which brought sanity to the rash of Covid-19 protocols targeted at Nigerian passengers”.
She noted that it had been challenging meeting their obligations to the International Air Transport Association, IATA, as they have been having issues with access to foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria through their bank, UBA.
According to her, for over three months now, the collective dues of members were still with the bank, and what they were seeking was $56-60,000 yo remit to IATA.
“I must report that IATA gave us shoulder to lean on, supporting our recovery effort, oxygenating the breathe to our collective future and survival. We can’t be too grateful”.
The NANTA president on the impact of the pandemic on ticket sales described the first quarter of 2020 as a very good one with $70.03 million, February $59.16 million and March $23.26.
But in April there was a sharp decline due to the start of the pandemic with sales of minus $1.3 and the total for the first quarter was $151m.
Compared to 2019 sales in the first quarter which amounted to $286.36m, a breakdown shows February figure at $51.52m, March $80.55m April $92.59m.
