• Tuesday, September 17, 2024
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BusinessDay

Emirates organises workshop for travel agents ahead of relaunch in Nigeria

UAE hikes visa fee to N640,000, Nigerians cry foul

This week, Emirates hosted key stakeholders from Nigeria’s thriving travel trade industry for a workshop to showcase its latest products and services, as well as provide a destination update on Dubai, as the airline gears up to restart operations from 1 October.

With key travel agents in attendance, the workshop demonstrates the importance of Nigeria on the airline’s vast global network.

Through interactive workshop sessions, Emirates familiarized attendees with the products and services that will be available on the soon-to-resume flight to/from Lagos, empowering them to provide even better services to their customers.

The airline also highlighted its full-service offerings including gourmet and regionally-inspired dining, the award-winning in-flight entertainment system, ice, and the exceptional hospitality from its multinational Cabin Crew.

Emirates Holidays, the airline’s tour operator arm, exhibited the curated holiday packages both to Dubai and other in-demand destinations such as the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and South Africa, in preparation to serve the pent-up travel demand from Nigeria.

Attendees also heard from key stakeholders representing Destination Dubai, to provide a macro view at what travellers can expect when travelling to and through the UAE.

Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) representatives offered a closer look at the abundance of tourism and trade opportunities in Dubai; the Dubai Stopover Experience team highlighted some of the must-see attractions; the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) outlined the city as a leading medical tourism destination; and Dubai Visa Processing Centres provided a closer look at how to apply for UAE visas, both for tourists and those transiting the city.

The information packed sessions at the Emirates Airline Travel Agency Workshop demonstrate the airline’s commitment to reinstating seamless and premium travel between Nigeria, the UAE and beyond, powered by Emirates.

Paulos Legesse, Country Manager for Nigeria, Emirates said, “Our travel agency partners are core to our success and we have built strong and prosperous relationships over the years, driving greater tourism and travel links between Nigeria, the UAE and beyond.

“As we prepare to restart operations to Lagos, this workshop was essential not just to showcase our world-class product and service to these important partners, but also to hear from the wider industry on the latest services that will suit customer demand, enabling us to better tailor our offering in Nigeria. We have exciting plans and can’t wait to add our industry-leading products and services to the Nigerian market from 1 October.”

In addition to preparing travel agents for the airline’s return, Emirates has reinstated previous tier status levels for Skywards members to ensure continuation of earned benefits and recognition.

Skywards, Emirates award-winning loyalty programme, offers four tiers of membership – Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum – with each tier enabling exclusive privileges, including: complimentary seat selection, priority check-in and boarding, excess baggage allowance, lounge access, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet on-board.

Emirates services to Lagos, Nigeria will relaunch on 1 October, 2024.