IATA Pledges Review of Guidelines for Travel Agents in Nigeria

By Chinedu Eze

International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global body regulating major aviation operation, has agreed to review guidelines that will enhance and promote the growth of travel trade business in Nigeria.

At a recent strategic meeting with the Executive of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) let by its National President, Mr. Bankole Bernard, IATA promised to review the interest rates charged against defaulting travels agents who delayed remittal of funds to IATA and a faster updating of exchange rate on its BSP link to help discourage speculation and confusion among travel agents.

The Regional Director of IATA, Mr. Dusankostic, who received the Nanta delegation in Amman, Jordan regional Headquarter, of IATA, Africa and Middle East, also promised that the global aviation regulatory body would henceforth play more proactive role in the training and retraining of NANTA members, adding that IATA would back a possible presence of a second DIP Provider in Nigeria.

Dusankostic appreciated the visit of NANTA leadership to its Amman facility, and used the opportunity to introduce the Gen ISS Program, a global management process for travel agents meant to ease compliance with local trade laws.

Earlier in his presentation, Nanta President Bankole Bernard commended IATA for its progressive oversight of aviation business in Nigeria, but however called for more pragmatic approach to issues concerning Nigeria travel agents who are key players in the downstream sector of the industry, particularly with challenges posed by the Nigerian economy in recession.

Bankole assured that Nanta will deepen the relationship with the Africa and Middle East region of IATA through strategic interface and visits whenever the need arises in future.

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