Daisi Olotu, the Group Managing Director of Dees Travels and Tours Limited, has promised to set up an arbitration panel to address all the issues that relate to the relationship between travel agencies and airlines if elected the next president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents.
Daisi, who outlines some of his plans for the travel body if he becomes the winner of the April 26 NANTA election, said representatives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other agencies would form part of the proposed committee.
The travel boss, in a statement on Sunday, said the era of allowing unresolved issues to linger should be over, adding that the development of the travel sector was paramount to all operators.
According to him, airlines should not be allowed to make some trade-related decisions without recourse to the agencies.
“We will set up an arbitration panel that would address all issues revolving around the agents and airlines, NCAA would form part of that committee as well. The era where airlines take discussion without recourse to us as agencies will be over
“We would call everybody together and look at our issues and our problems and proffer solutions to our problems. We would involve people in the academia and this is what we would take to the government,” he said.
He recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, he fought to ensure that operators got their palliative funds.
“If I opened the can of worms about the palliative that was given to NANTA by the Federal Government during COVID-19, operators got money and didn’t know how I fought and saved money for the association. I have facts with me that I can publish for people to see everything concerning this palliative but I don’t want to go there. Let us leave that for another day,” he added.
Daisi added that if elected as NANTA president, he would organise a symposium to enhance operators’ capacity.
“There is going to be a symposium for go-lite and go-standard business models. We are all operating under IATA license and there won’t be any division. We will call everybody together and look at our issues and our problems and proffer solutions to our problems. We will involve people in the academia and this is what we would take to the government.” Daisi explained.
The NANTA President hopeful called on the need for members to come together and work as a team.
“There must be a handshake between go-standard and go-lite. With this handshake, we will be able to be in charge of our business and that would enable us to be on top of our business
“If we say go-lite alone, it will be like a bird flying with one hand but by the time you balance it up, both will have a bird flying. We have to work together as a team. I plan to be all-inclusive irrespective of our business models,” Daisi added.
He raised the alarm that someone in the association was fanning the ember of discord in NANTA.
