Travel/Tourism
Jumia Travel Hosts Tourism Summit Wednesday
By Dipo Olowookere
Leading online travel agency, Jumia Travel Nigeria has announced plans to hold a tourism summit in Lagos on Wednesday, March 29, 2017.
Experts from various sectors of the tourism industry will converge to brainstorm on what Nigerian/African travellers are searching for – the new trends and how these expectations can met by each stakeholder responsible for enriching their travel experience.
The company’s Head of PR & Marketing, Mr Olukayode Kolawole, made the disclosure in a press statement, adding that facilitating a summit to discuss critical industry issues has always been a key focus for the company. He also stated that the panelists for the summit have been drawn from various sectors within the hospitality industry.
“These experts have hands-on experiences from interacting with travelers at different point of their journey. The selection of the panelists was meticulously done to allow for a rich and diverse contribution from each of them.
For instance, Mr Ikechi Uko is the CEO & organizer of Akwaaba African Travel Market. He’s also the publisher of ATQ magazine – the first (if not only) travel magazine in West Africa. The event is a convergence point for Africans to discuss, impact and share ideas on how to advance the African hospitality industry by highlighting the inevitable roles of each stakeholder, the government inclusive. Mr. Uko is a well-respected expert in the industry. His presence at any travel & tourism event will no doubt leave the participants in awe and intellectually enriched at the end of the programme”.
Other panelists billed to speak at the event are: Kushal Dutta, MD Jumia Travel Nigeria; Anthony Shishler, MD Fahrenheit Hotel; Bakare Abiola, Kenya Airways; Sam Adeleke, Afro Tourism; Chiamaka Obuekwe, Founder Social Prefect Tours; and Tosin Ajibade, Founder, Olorisupergal & Travel Africa Story.
The press statement also highlighted some of the questions the panelists will be providing answers to, such as: What are travelers looking for – the new trends? How can these expectations be met? What differentiates the 20th century traveler from the 21st? What roles do airline operators play in contributing to a traveler’s experience? What are the flight booking trends? What class enjoy the most bookings? How do airline operators make the flight more than just flying? How does the interaction with the airline add up to the traveler’s gross experience? What kind of hotel accommodations do travelers expect? What kind do they get? What is the booking pattern/trend for leisure travelers? What amenities are these travelers searching for the most? How much in advance do travelers book hotels? How do hoteliers plan to make travelers experience more interesting? Beyond keeping one’s head under the hotel roof, what extra do hotels offer? What would make a traveler to want to return to the same hotel every single time? Are Nigerian travelers difficult to satisfy? Do they ask for more than they can get or deserve or pay for?
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Normalcy was restored at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos on Monday afternoon after workers of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc disrupted flight operations this morning.
The aviation workers had embarked on an indefinite strike action to ask for a better welfare package from the management of the company.
Their action left many air passengers stranded on Monday morning, with operators suspending their flights in the process.
But the industrial action was later called off by the leaders of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, which promised to enter into talks with NAHCO, with a view to resolving the matter.
The aggrieved employees of NAHCO asked the management to increase their salaries after hike air fares by 100 per cent. They claimed that the company was being insensitive to their welfare.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Activities at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, were paralysed on Monday after some employees of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc embarked on an industrial action.
The NAHCO workers protested the failure of the management of the company to heed their demands, including an increase in salaries and better welfare packages.
Air passengers who were at the Lagos airport were left frustrated today due to the demonstration by the aviation workers, with a few international flights disrupted.
It was gathered that most airline operators were caught unawares as they did not have prior notice that the NAHCO staff members were planning to down tools on the first working day of the week.
This led to the abrupt suspension of flight operations by most operators this morning while efforts were being made to resolve this issue in order to reduce the losses that could arise from the action of the workers.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Ahead of the New Lunar Year in China and in response to strong travel demand in the country, Emirates is ramping up its operations and has resumed flights to Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
Recall that this month, the Chinese authorities removed its stiff COVID-19-related entry restrictions and reopened its borders to international travellers.
Emirates said following this new development, it would resume passenger services to Shanghai starting with two weekly flights operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft from 20 January 2023, with EK302 departing from Dubai to Shanghai non-stop and EK303 making a short stop in Bangkok before returning to Dubai.
This service will ramp up in frequency to four weekly flights operated by a three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from 02 February 2023. During this period, Emirates’ flight EK302 will depart Dubai at 03:45hrs and arrive in Shanghai at 15:40hrs. The return flight EK303 will depart Shanghai at 17:40hrs and arrive in Bangkok at 21:45hrs before taking off from the Thai capital at 23:20hrs and arriving in Dubai at 03:20hrs the next day.
The airline operator said it would further boost its Dubai-Shanghai route from 1 March 2023 with a daily non-stop service. Its flight EK304 will depart Dubai at 09:15hrs and arrive in Shanghai at 21:05hrs. The return flight EK303 will leave Shanghai at 23:00hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:20hrs the next day.
Starting from 1 February 2023, Emirates will increase services between Dubai and Guangzhou with EK362/EK363 operating as daily non-stop flights with the flagship Emirates A380.
Its flight EK362 will leave Dubai at 10:45hrs and arrive in Guangzhou at 21:45hrs. The return flight EK363 will depart Guangzhou at 00:15hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:15hrs. Emirates currently operates a non-stop flight from Dubai to Guangzhou as EK362, and a return flight from Guangzhou to Dubai via Bangkok as EK363, four times a week.
Operated by a three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, Emirates’ flight EK308/ EK307 will return to China’s capital city Beijing with a daily non-stop service from Dubai, starting from 15 March 2023. Emirates’ flight EK308 will leave Dubai at 10:50hrs and arrive in Beijing at 22:20hrs. The return flight EK307 will depart Beijing at 00:40hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:00hrs.*
This will bring the airline’s operations in the market up to 21 weekly flights, providing increased choice and flexibility for both business and leisure travellers, and contributing to China’s tourism recovery.
Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via travel agents. Travellers are also encouraged to check the latest entry requirements.
