Travel/Tourism
Raddison Expands Portfolio With Five New Hotels
By Adedapo Adesanya
In the first quarter of 2022, Radisson Hotel Group increased its portfolio with five new hotels in line with its ambitious African growth and development plan.
In 2022, the Cape Town-based group aims to add more than a dozen hotels, reaching just over 100 hotels in operation and under development on the continent.
Last year, Radisson Hotel Group set a record with 14 hotel signings in countries such as Morocco, Djibouti, Ghana, and Zambia, adding over 2,500 rooms to its African portfolio.
The Group’s momentous growth is aligned with its 2025 objective to reach over 150 properties across Africa, up from almost 100 hotels today.
The five new hotel signings in Q1 2022 span the continent from Ethiopia and Senegal to Tunisia and Ghana and stretch across the Group’s brand portfolio from the fast-growing upscale Radisson brand to the Group’s newest conversion brand, Radisson Individuals.
Currently, under construction, the Radisson Hotel Addis Ababa Bole Airport is on track to open its doors before September 2023 and will be the first Radisson branded hotel in East Africa.
The facility is adjacent to the country’s new national stadium which is still under construction and close to the third largest airport hub in Africa, Bole International Airport.
In Senegal, the group will have the first Radisson resort in Africa and the second Radisson branded property when it opens its doors in 2024. Saly is the second most popular tourist destination in the country after Dakar, the country’s capital.
Opening in Q2 2022, Radisson Hotel Sfax, Tunisia will be the first and only internationally branded upscale hotel in the city.
The existing, independent hotel – La Maison Blanche Tunis will also undergo a full renovation prior to reopening its doors in January 2023. It joins the Group’s existing two hotels in operation and three under development in Tunisia, with a total of almost 1,000 rooms.
The group’s third property in Accra and the first of two Radisson Individuals hotels to open in Ghana is set for a launch this quarter and will consist of various rooms and suites, including a three-bedroom penthouse and a premium presidential suite, as well as serviced apartments offering a separate living room, balcony, and fully furnished kitchen.
Speaking on this, Mr Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer said, “Africa remains a key focus for us. We remain committed to unlocking its potential and to supporting its people with the many job creations that we contribute across the continent.
“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we maintained strong growth momentum with numerous key milestones as we continue cementing our position as one of the leading operators on the continent with the most diverse portfolio across over 30 African countries.
“In 2022, we aim to add a dozen hotels to our portfolio across the continent resulting in surpassing the 100 hotels in operation and under development mark and eventually aim to achieve 150 hotels by 2025.”
On his part, Mr Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Africa & Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group added, “Our ambition is to continue growing in markets in which we operate already and enter new markets with our core brands. Building on our strong portfolio of city hotels, we are focusing on resort destinations as well as expanding our footprint in new strategic markets.
“In addition to opening our first three hotels in Madagascar earlier this year, we will be opening hotels in South Sudan, Djibouti, Victoria Falls, and Ghana. Conversions will remain a priority and we will continue innovating our business approach with relevant and tailored solutions to adapt to changing market conditions.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A travel card designed for tourists, business visitors, Diaspora returnees has been launched by Verve in partnership with Providus Bank.
Known as the ProvidusVerve Travel Card, the Naira-based travel card will allow inbound travellers to enjoy a smooth, secure, and convenient payment experience throughout their stay in Nigeria. It was powered by Verve’s secure.
Created to support the surge of tourists, expatriates, business visitors, conference delegates, and returning diaspora expected during the festive Detty December season, the ProvidusVerve Travel Card enables seamless payments for transportation, hotels, dining, shopping, entertainment, and everyday essentials nationwide.
The card also works on select global merchant platforms that accept Verve, including Netflix, Google Play, and other digital services, ensuring travellers enjoy uninterrupted access to familiar services.
The ProvidusVerve Travel Card eliminates the hassle of sourcing naira or converting foreign currency on arrival. It enables instant, secure transactions, reduces reliance on cash, and supports compliance with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It also mitigates the risks associated with carrying physical cash such as loss, theft, or fraud, offering a safe, regulation-aligned option for both online and in-person payments.
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card is a timely solution for inbound travellers seeking reliability, security, and simplicity while navigating Nigeria.
“Together with Providus Bank, we have created a product that eliminates the friction traditionally associated with accessing local payments.
“Whether for tourism, business, or festive activities, this card ensures a smooth financial experience from the moment visitors land,” the Vice President for Issuing and Acquiring Management for Africa at Verve International, Mr Paul Ohakim, stated.
On his part, the Divisional Head for Product Management and Solution Delivery at Interswitch, Mr Ademola Adeniran, described the partnership as a reflection of “Verve’s commitment to designing products that respond to real user needs.”
“The ProvidusVerve Travel Card supports everyday experiences — from booking rides and hotels to shopping, streaming, and dining. It provides inbound travellers with a secure, compliant, digital-first way to experience Nigeria without financial barriers,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has disclosed that the federal government may recover and sell the assets of Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.
The Minister disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Ministry’s fourth quarter stakeholders’ engagement to enhance governance for effective service delivery in aviation.
Speaking at the event themed “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be directed to probe why funds trapped by the airline are yet to be refunded.
He revealed that the authority suspended the operations of the airline as a matter of choice between safety and disaster.
“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as priority. The priority was safety, and we all looked at the damning reports that we had met on the table.
“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk. If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.”
According to him, “I have asked Najomo (NCAA director general) to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that.
“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first.
“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.
“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it has imposed a N5 million penalty on Qatar Airways for consumer protection violations.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, on X, adding that there may be other sanctions depending on how the airline treats other cases.
“Glad to announce that, today, the NCAA has sanctioned @qatarairways to the tune of five million naira being penalty for consumer protection-related infractions. In addition, the letters of investigation (LOI) written to the airline over other cases may lead to further sanctions if not treated satisfactorily,” Mr Achimugu wrote.
The fine followed an incident when a Nigerian passenger was accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of sexual harassment during boarding in Lagos for a flight to the United States via Doha, Qatar.
The allegation was only reported in Doha, where the passenger was arrested, detained for 18 hours, fined, and compelled to sign a document written solely in Arabic.
Qatar Airways allegedly refused to continue his journey, forcing him to purchase another ticket at considerable financial and reputational cost.
The NCAA said it invited Qatar Airways’ country manager to a meeting over the incident, but he failed to attend, sending subordinates instead.
“I understand that some countries do not have advanced aviation consumer protection regulations like Nigeria does. In certain cases, some countries don’t even have any. This creates a situation where airlines operating out of those countries (mostly national carriers) act with disdain towards consumer protection enforcement in Nigeria.
“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for ANY Airlines not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA. It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” Mr Achimugu said in an earlier post.
In September, the NCAA accused Qatar Airways of mistreating Nigerian passengers and failing to comply with consumer protection regulations under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.
The regulator then threatened stiff penalties against the airline for repeatedly disregarding its directives.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn