Travel/Tourism
Transcorp Hotels to Restructure Business, Sack 40% of Staff
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The management of Transcorp Hotels, operators of the popular Transcorp Hilton Abuja, has said in order to meet its business obligations, about 40 per cent of the company employees will have to go.
The Managing Director of the hospitality firm, Mrs Dupe Olusola, told newsmen on Thursday that its operations have been badly affected by the coronavirus disease and to remain in business, this tough decision has to be taken.
She said all executives of Transcorp Hilton Abuja have now taken a pay cut and that another action the management is taking is to restructure the company’s business operations.
“The impact of COVID-19 on the business is like nothing the company has ever witnessed.
“The hotel and hospitality industry in Nigeria has never faced a crisis that brought travel to a standstill, including the Ebola Virus outbreak of 2014 and the recession of 2015.
“The slow pick up of international travel, restriction on large gatherings, the switch to virtual meetings and fear of the virus, has drastically reduced demand for our hotels and occupancy levels to its lowest of less than 5 per cent,” Mrs Olusola said.
“To this end, our workforce headcount will be reduced by at least 40 per cent, and our reward system will be optimised,” she declared.
Many companies have continued to be affected by the contagion and in the second quarter of this year, the Nigerian economy contracted by 6.1 per cent and from the look of things, another recession is expected in the third quarter. It will be the second in over four years.
According to industry analysis, the novel COVID-19 pandemic has caused the African hotel and tourism sector to lose over $50 billion in revenue.
Amidst this, Transcorp Hotels, which trades its shares on the local exchange, has suffered unprecedented losses and is looking to restructure the business strategy of its hotels and optimize its operations. The company’s stocks have remained flat at N4 at the Lagos bourse for weeks.
In order to make up for the losses to COVID-19 and ensure business continuity, the management is diversifying its portfolio and embarked on some cost-optimisation strategies.
“We [have] activated various cost-saving initiatives such as renegotiations of service contracts and restructuring of our loans.
“We suspended further commitment to buy fixed assets and operating equipment as well as reducing our energy consumption and maintenance costs.
“Despite undertaking these, it has become apparent that more fundamental changes need to be made for the business to survive,” she said.
Also, the company’s head said negotiations with members of staff to be laid off in the downsizing exercise are ongoing and that a health insurance package to reduce their health burden costs and other payment settlements are being discussed.
But she said, “Despite the losses incurred, we have fulfilled our obligations to staff,” adding that, “At the inception of the pandemic, we maintained a 100 per cent salary payment to our over 900 employees in March and April.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United States President Donald Trump has imposed a partial travel restriction on Nigeria, as part of a series of new actions, citing security concerns.
The latest travel restriction will affect new Nigerians hoping to travel to the US, as it cites security concerns and difficulties in vetting nationals.
The travel restrictions also affect citizens of other African as well as Black-majority Caribbean nations.
This development comes months after the American President threatened to invade the country over perceived persecution against Christians.
President Trump had already fully banned the entry of Somalis as well as citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, and Yemen.
The countries newly subject to partial restrictions, besides Nigeria, are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Angola, Senegal and Zambia have all been prominent US partners in Africa, with former president Joe Biden hailing the three for their commitment to democracy.
In the proclamation, the White House alleged high crime rates from some countries on the blacklist and problems with routine record-keeping for passports.
The White House acknowledged “significant progress” by one initially targeted country, Turkmenistan.
The Central Asian country’s nations will once again be able to secure US visas, but only as non-immigrants.
The US president, who has long campaigned to restrict immigration and has spoken in increasingly strident terms, moved to ban foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans, the White House said.
He also wants to prevent foreigners in the United States who would “undermine or destabilize its culture, government, institutions or founding principles,” a White House proclamation said.
Other countries newly subjected to the full travel ban came from some of Africa’s poorest countries — Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan — as well as Laos in southeast Asia.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has commenced an investigation into pricing templates behind high ticket rates charge by some airlines on some domestic routes.
A statement issued by the Director of Corporate Affairs of the commission, Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, in Abuja said the investigation was to establish possible violations of the provisions of the law.
Mr Ijagwu said that concerns had been expressed widely in the past few days over what appeared to be coordinated manipulation or exploitation in the pricing of airline tickets by some airlines on certain routes, adding that the routes where concerns had been raised included the South-East and South-South, as the festive season began.
According to him, the ongoing investigation targets operators on the identified routes.
He said the commission would apply appropriate enforcement measures where evidence showed any violation of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA).
Mr Ijagwu explained that Air Peace, had instituted a court action seeking to restrain the agency from examining its pricing mechanisms, following the commencement of an investigation into its pricing model after widespread complaints from members of the public.
He said the ongoing inquiry was without prejudice to the case instituted against the Commission by Air Peace.
The director quoted the vice chairman of FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, as saying “the commission would not hesitate to act where evidence showed that consumers welfare or market competitiveness were being undermined.
”For the avoidance of doubt, we are not a price control board but the FCCP Act 2018 empowers us to check the exploitation of consumers.
”When we receive petitions or where we find cogent evidence, we will not stand by and watch Nigerian consumers being exploited under any guise.
”Given the arbitrary spike in airfares, the Commission is extending its review of pricing patterns, the basis for the increases reported by consumers, and any practices that could undermine fair competition.
”Where evidence confirms a breach of the Act, FCCPC will apply appropriate enforcement measures,” Mr Bello said, promising that the organisation will continue to provide updates on the ongoing investigations in the aviation industry.
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.
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