Nigeria Travel Agencies Call on Standard Organisation to Adopt International Best Practices

Amidst the drive for international service excellence, the collaborative effort between the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) has sparked inquiries into the intricate dynamics governing the relationship between principals and agents within the travel trade distribution service ecosystem.

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Mr. Yinka Folami, President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), has called upon the Standard Organisation of Nigeria to intervene regarding the contentious matter of foreign airlines encroaching upon the established distribution and marketing channels of registered travel agents.

Therefore, it urged the government agency to shed light on the infringement.

“We are gathered here to discuss International best practices in the tourism industry, and it is clear that NANTA duly wishes to seek clarification on what should be the best practice relationship between a principal and an agent, because we have seen in Nigeria, where our principles set up city offices (contrary to BASA), offer direct special deals to our clients, thus cutting travel practitioners off the chain and denying the traveller of the opportunity of the service of a professional travel advisor” Mr Folami stated.

Likewise, Chidinma Ewuzie, the Conformity Assessment Officer at SON, recognized that such interventions are crucial for a comprehensive grasp of global service delivery best practices

Ewuzie highlighted that the International Standards Organisation categorizes travel services into various groups.

However, she assured that SON might organize a workshop focused on the subsector of travel trade, in partnership with NANTA, to accurately delineate the concerning situation in Nigeria. This initiative aims to mitigate potential negative impacts on service delivery within the travel trade sector.

“We shall take note and work around it. Cargo services, for instance, are captured under the best practices ecosystem, and we sure can discuss the travel trade services template through a focal workshop,” Ewuzie concluded.

O.O