The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) President , Mr. Yinka Folami, has sought the intervention on global best practices and the opinion of Standard Organisation of Nigeria(SON) on whether foreign airlines can compete with established and registered travel agents in the distribution and marketing of tickets channel ecosystem as obtained in Nigeria.
The NANTA requested for SON’s opinion at the international best practices in services delivery event organised by it in collaboration with Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) .
SON at the event got queries on the relationship between a principal and an agent in the travel trade distribution service ecosystem.
NANTA had requested SON, a Federal Government agency, to throw light on the infraction.
According to Folarin, “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 travellers of the opportunity of the service of a professional travel advisor NANTA.”
Speaking, the Conformity Assessment Officer, SON, Chidinma Ewuzie, acknowledged that such interventions are germane to critical understanding of global best practices in service delivery but pointed out that the International Standards Organisation (ISO) world body grouped travel services under another category.
She, however, promised that SON may put together a sub-travel trade sector workshop in collaboration with NANTA to properly define the very troubling scenario in Nigeria that may impact negatively on service delivery in 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 said.
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