The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has called on the Federal Government to relocate the Ministry of Tourism to Aviation to fast track an immediate development of tourism in Nigeria.
Bankole Bernard President, NANTA told Hadi Sirika, Aviation Minister, to let president Muhammadu Buhari know that Nigeria can quickly get out of economic recession if tourism is married to aviation, a progressive partnership and policy decision that has helped other nations in the world to rebound on all indices of development.
“NANTA is embarrassed by the look of our airports and the situation our aviation sector today because Nigeria never has truly paid attention to the huge benefits in bound tourism.
“ We urge you to please do all you can to bring the tourism portfolio to the aviation sector so that Nigeria can power domestic tourism and grow the huge potentialities of Nigeria as a global tourism destination” he told the minister.
Bankole explained that other Africa nations of Ethiopia, Egypt and Kenya help power their tourism economy through key attention and support to their national airlines.
“We are tired of the lip service paid to tourism and aviation development in Nigeria and as key players in Nigeria aviation downstream sector, we have seen what aviation powered tourism agenda has done for other countries.
“ Nigeria cannot allow other Africa countries to overshadow us and use our failings to gain ground ahead of us in this business, Bankole further explained.
The NANTA President, who led top members of his association to the exclusive meeting, tasked the aviation minister to look into the issues of repatriation of trapped funds of foreign airlines, the state of Abuja and Muritala Mohammed airports, Aviation Bank to help domestic airlines and the NANTA Act to address issues of professionalism in the travel trade business.
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