The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) announced it recorded a loss of 46.9% in 2020 due to the effects of the pandemic on the sector.
This was disclosed by the National President of the association, Mrs. Susan Akporaiye, on Tuesday in Lagos said. The association also urged the FG to hasten up the process of acquiring the COVID-19 pandemic vaccine.
“We made total sales of US$57.79m in January 2019 as against US$70.03m same month in 2020, and US$51.52m was realised in February 2019 and US$59.16m, in February 2020.
“Also, we realised US$80.55m in March 2019 and US$23.26m in March 2020 while US$92.50m was made in April 2019 as against US$1.38m in 2020.
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“ So, in 2019, we realized US$282.36m and in 2020, we made US$151m bringing the percentage of our losses to 46.9 %.
“ The pandemic’s impact on the Nigerian travel trade sector was brutish, unexpected, and fearful; the pandemic challenged the legacy of the united NANTA,” Akporaiye added.
She added that the International Air Transport Association and the FG have shown support to the agencies so far, citing that IATA has been lenient with travel agencies this period, and also supported “communication channels for counseling our members, we appreciate all these.”
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On Covid-19 vaccines
The association urged the Federal Government to pick up the pace of vaccinations to properly kick start the economy.
“COVID-19 has come to stay, and we need to get vaccines quickly to ensure people’s activities and the economy is not truncated again.
“As an association, we call on the Federal Government to hasten up the process of acquiring COVID-19 pandemic vaccine, either locally or internationally,” she said.
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What you should know
- The Coronavirus which spread globally caused a 50% drop in travel agencies’ ticket sales and reservations for international trips.
- Nairametrics reported the African Development Bank (AfDB) said 5 million out of Africa’s 7 million aviation and tourism industry-related jobs were lost in 2020. Also, as much as $15 billion in revenue, half of this to African airlines.
