BY Frank Meke
How to find and exploit the huge low hanging fruits in Nigeria’s emerging travel and tourism industry is made easy as National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) and Amadeus, global travel services distribution giant joined hands to open new frontiers of revenue generation base for Nigeria’s travel trade operators, not excluding hospitality managers.
The trade deal opens up a new vista of operational solutions that gives travel trade and hospitality owners and operators, round the clock global connection and a finger touch click to inside happenings within and outside trade environment, powerfully showcasing new creative technology that adds value to the ever dynamic trends that shapes today’s travel needs and expectations to the advantage of corporate revenue baseline.
To Nanta, the deal leap frogs and connects its huge and growing membership across Nigeria, particularly operators in Kano state with the 21st century global travel trade technology solution frontier, Amadeus however will leverage on its octopus search engines and cutting edge technological experience to provide training, retraining and a seamless back-up to shore up sales returns and increased customer base for registered Nanta members. The new Nanta revolutionary outreach also came handy for Amadeus as both teams paid a “market” friendship visit to Azman, the new wave making local airline with unmistakeable operational presence in Kano. The Nanta team led by Bankole Bernard which includes Alhaji Mai Wada, Deputy National President (North), Alhaji Abdulahi Aliyu (VP Northern Zone) and executive secretary Osaro Olobor later held closed door meeting with Turkish airlines and SAUDIA to discuss new trends as it affects both parties in Nigeria. Indeed, Nanta President’s visit to the top Nanta Elder, Alhaji Ahmed Ojuolape and to the office of Aminu Wada Abubakar, boss of Pilot Travel Services, new entrant into the business, swings the powerful Kano travel trade community to Bankole’s dream agenda to rescue the dwindling fortunes of travel trade business in Nigeria.
We bring you detailed accounts of Amadeus and Nanta strides to push a new “apple cart” for travel trade operators in Kano.
Amadeus opened shop in Kano last week ending fears and speculations of how seamless back up could power new technological offerings in the global market place for Nigerian end market. There is no denying that Nigeria despite recession induced aviation draw backs still holds great prospects hence Amadeus exemplary confidence boosting presence in Kano nay Nigeria travel industry. Yann Gilbert, Amadeus general manager, Nigeria and Ghana operations, believes that Nigeria is the right place to be for Amadeus hence the push for greater market share and ease of doing business for travel agents in Kano and Nigeria in general.
Amadeus confidence in the Nigerian market has also generated new trade agreements with local Carriers, Medview, Dana Air and in the works relationship with Azman Air, a visible foreign economic investment bench mark that questions the select exist of some foreign airlines and businesses out of Nigeria.
While Nanta President wanted only registered Nanta members recognised on Amadeus trade map, his members, particularly owners of travel trade outfits wants Amadeus to provide an exclusive training for them with a window to track sales within and outside their offices. To all these fears and expectations, Amadeus came with its new trade products that provide a win-win portfolio both for Nanta leadership and its high end membership club.
There is a seeming unexplainable chemistry between Amadeus man, Yann Gilbert and Nanta President, Bankole Bernard. Even though Gilbert is “white” while Bankole obviously “black”, the difference in skill colour appears the only attribute that separates these two “brothers” and trade group leaders. They rode in the same car and shared several talks (not boys or locker room talks) and i cannot wait to get the full gist that made them glued to each other through out Amadeus trade show in Kano.
She stands elegant and chooses her trade remarks as a corporate princess for Amadeus penetration into the huge Nigeria market. Abiola Omosini, head Sales and Marketing ranks more than a beauty queen and graciously conscious of demand of her office, confidently presents Amadeus global reach to Nigeria travel trade operators. My take is that it if Amadeus do not find a way to keep this pretty face, emerging and trending corporate giants in the aviation industry may snap her up not just for her natural beauty but for her brilliance.
I didn’t get his names but the young man who presented the Amadeus products to the Kano travel trade community surely knows his game. Having witnessed trade presentations all over the world, I was impressed with the young man flawless and good use of travel industry lexicons. He easily got across to the professional audience and made the outing very beneficial and interesting to all.
Getting Azman air to join the Amadeus global chain received a major boost as Nanta President, Bankole Bernard earnestly stood behind the brand when it mattered most during a visit to the Nigerian airline corporate office in Kano.
The Nanta Amadeus team was received by Dr. Faisal Abdulmanaf MD Azman and his top managers who sought clarifications on advantages of Amadeus global travel connections and its cost implication, to which Nanta President provided significant insights and sureties which convinced the Azman group to join Amadeus club. Impressed by the rich knowledge of trade secrets in aviation global business exhibited by Nanta President, Dr. Faisal Abdulmanaf promised to get Azman to join Nanta and also open a new window of marketing collaboration that will give Nanta registered members access to Azman inventories.
To ensure SAUDIA, the official airline of the Kingdom of Saudi – Arabia remains in Kano, Nigeria, Nanta president visited to reassure the airline management not join the hasty rush to pull out of Nigeria. The Nanta team was received by a visibly happy and friendly SAUDIA Manager in Kano, Fahad Mohd Shehab who prayed for a better and improved aviation business climate in Nigeria. At the end of the very candid and open banter on aviation way forward in Nigeria, Nanta agreed to send a powerful team to the Saudi Embassy in Kano to push for more collaborative initiatives that would keep the airline doing good business in Nigeria and travel agents placed in the forefront and carried along always in the formulation and implementation of immigration and Visa Obligations from the Saudi Arabia Embassy.
The over four hours meeting with Turkish airline in Kano was probably the hardest and very challenging for Nanta President. It was so because the decision to exit operation out of Kano was to take effect last Saturday, a decision that got to depressed Nanta President on arrival in Kano, two days, too late? Frantic calls were made, solutions and strategies reviewed in seconds to find a way to keep the Turks in Kano but it appears a little too late but the un-put-down-able Nanta President pushed for a meeting in Istanbul, Capital of Turkey and Corporate headquarters of Turkish airline to present and make a case for the airline to remain (in) Kano and not pull out completely.
The Amadeus products workshop held at Tahir Guest House was full to the brim despite being a forum for select and registered Nanta members. The truth however is that the event recorded a huge turnout due to the advertised presence of Nanta President who popularity ranking is very high among operators in the entire Northern Zone with headquarters in Kano. So the crowd surged to have a glimpse of their wave making and revolutionary President who again did not fail to deliver when he addressed them and gave a detailed and incisive achievement profile less than six months in office, to the admiration of even the critics of his less than six months presidency.
Alhaji Ahmed Ojuolape is a visible name in Nanta and a great example of how to succeed in travel business in Nigeria. Ojuolape runs Empire Travels in Kano and has mentored many young travel business entrepreneurs, so it was not out of place for Nanta President, Bankole Bernard to visit this great leader of Nanta Community in Kano. Bankole was very gracious and humble about it all and an appreciative Prince of the Empire was honoured in having his young president visit his office with VP North, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi leading the way.
Nanta Vice – President, Northern Zone, Aliyu Abdullahi sacrificed all to give his president and his entourage a rousing and unforgettable reception. Aliyu was not only the Kano tour guide; he took Nanta President on a visit to industry stakeholders in Kano to create new business openings and relationships. Aliyu also organised home cooks and biggest kilishi (roasted dry beef) takeaway that could set a gastronomy world record.
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