It was memorable occasion at the Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos on Monday, October 31 as the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, NANTA, the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators, NATOP and the Tour Operators Association of Ghana, TOUGHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the South African Tourism.
The MoU which was signed at the South African stand at the ongoing Akwaaba Travel Market was aimed at promoting trade relations among the Nigerian travel agencies, the Nigeria tour operators and the Ghana tour operators.
The MoU was signed on behalf of NANTA by the president, Mr. Bankole Bernard, the president of NATOP, Mr. Nkereuwem Onung, the president of TOUGHA, Nancy O Sam and the regional manager West African of South African Tourism, Mr Lehlohonolo Pitso.
The signing of the MoU underscores the importance South African Tourism places on the West African market, especially Nigeria and Ghana.
In recent years, South African Tourism has been consistently engaging with travel agencies and tour operators in both countries with the aim of forging a closer working relationship.
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This consistent marketing drive, engagements with the trade partners has been made possible through regular road shows and trade workshops in cities like Accra, Kumasi, Port-Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria.
Before the signing of the MoU, Mr Lehlohonolo Pitso had told Nigerianfranknews especially on the close partnership between NANTA and NATOP that: “Like when we came in, most of our communications was that we are here to sell South Africa as a holiday destination, but also through engagements with the tour operators associations, they are also looking to learn, to aspire organisations such as ours to market Nigeria for example as a holiday destination, so is more of a supposed strategy exchange type, so that we share ideas and talk about what will work and what will not work .
What we have also done is that South African products that come, we take them around and to also see what Nigeria has to offer. In each of the cities we are going, we are going to do a city tour, remember part of the SA products that are here include the tour operators as well, so is an opportunity to cross sale. So we are encouraging all of that and saying to the guys inside not to stick with this platform only as after this workshop, there are opportunities for you to engage further and network and talk about other ideas on how to sell Nigeria to other South African tour operators and see if you can actually attract South African consumers as well, so is a mutual beneficial relationship”.
