Dubai To Host 200 Nigerian on-All-Paid Expense Trip for Shopping Festival in 2015.

http://atqnews.com/ng/2015/11/28/dubai-to-host-200-nigerians-on-paid-trips-for-shopping-festival/

Welcome to the Official Naija Trip Blog: Hon. Aminu Tambuwal to chair Africa Travel Awards ...

Welcome to the Official Naija Trip Blog: Hon. Aminu Tambuwal to chair Africa Travel Awards ...: The Executive Governor of Sokoto state in Nigeria and the former Speaker of the Nigerian National Assembly HonorableAminu Tambuwal will be ...

Hon. Aminu Tambuwal to chair Africa Travel Awards at Akwaaba

The Executive Governor of Sokoto state in Nigeria and the former Speaker of the Nigerian National Assembly HonorableAminu Tambuwal will be the Chairman at the African Travel Awards and Dinner. The African Travel awards is one of the high points of the 3day Travel event and comes up on the 1st day, 22nd Nov from 7pm. He would be accompanied by the Hon. Commissioner of Commerce, Industries and Tourism, Sokoto State- Alh. Aminu Bello.

As repeat Exhibitors at Akwaaba, Sokoto state would be showcasing her rich Tourism Products to both international and local audience which is what Akwaaba as a platform offers.

Some of the Awards to be presented at the event include Best Hotel in Africa, Airline of the Year-Africa, Best Resort in Africa, Africa most friendly City, and Best Airport in Africa, with WaturiWaMatu presented with the African Legend Award for her role in promoting Tourism in East-Africa.

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This comes as the enlarged committee of the Africa Travel Awards over t

he week completed their nominations of Airlines, Hotels and Destinations for this year’s award.  The Pan African committee made up of Tourism professionals from all over Africa usually nominates candidates for the award categories and the shortlist is now presented to the public for online voting.  After the public vote the committee members will now ratify the results before it is published

Africa Travel Awards is an African initiative to celebrate pioneers and exceptional providers of quality service in Africa. The uniqueness of the awards which is in its 5th year is that the committee is completely African in composition and the choices are about Africa.

Past Recipients of the Award includes former President of Gambia, Sir DawdaJawara, Dr Danny Jordaan, the CEO of South Africa world Cup LOC, Capt Irene Mutungi, the first lady Airline Captain in Africa, Capt Desta Zeru the first African to captain a B787, CaptChinyereKalu, first female Pilot in Nigeria and a host of other pioneers in Africa

Membership of the Award committee is drawn from over 15 African countries.  The new committee members are Siphelele Luthuli from South Africa, KhomotsoKelsall from South Africa, FifiRurungwa from Rwanda, OlanmaOjukwu from Benin Republic, WaturiWaMatu from Kenya, Nancy Sam from Ghana, Chiquita Johnson from Liberia.

They are joining other active members like Chief Chika Onyeani New York based Publisher of African Times,  Sheikh TejanNyang of Gambia, Ali Diouf of Senegal, Denis Gathanju of Kenya,  Monique Swart South Africa based promoter of ABTA,  Gordon Adoboe from Ghana, Samuel Doe from Ghana, Atlanta based Senegalese Promoter Ogo Sow, Janjay F. Campbell from liberia, Mrs. TinukeNwakohu from Nigeria,ConsigaKhiga of Kenya, AdefunkeAdeyemi – IATA representative for Middle-East &Africa,YunusSaliu from the Gambia,Yvette smith Cole from Sierra-leone, Patricia Ellis from Zambia,Samuel Doe from Ghana. Aly Diouf-Senegal.

Meanwhile the DG NCAA, Capt. Usman Mukhtar, MD, International Services of Ethiopian Airline along with the Head of IATA Middle East and Africa, will be headlining this year’s Aviation Day at the 11th Akwaaba. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in line with its, objective to bring increased connectivity to Africa has partnered with Akwaaba to organize the Aviation day.  The event will hold on the 23rd of Nov, the 2nd day of Akwaaba from10am.

The event aims to stimulate valuable discussions by renowned industry players to address the lingering issue of connectivity in Africa.  It will feature presentations of papers by notable individuals in the industry on issues concerning the sector. AdefunkeAdeyemi, IATA Regional Head for Member (Airline) and External Relations for Africa and the Middle East will be sharing a recent study by IATA on connectivity in Africa at the Aviation Day. The event is themed “National Carrier, Open Skies and Connectivity in Africa”.

Managing Director, International Services, Ethiopian Airlines, EsayasWoldemariam will also be making a presentation, while the Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Muhtar Usman will be the Chairman of the day. The moderator for the day will be Aviation Consultant Mr Chris Aligbe.Already the President, Nigeria Association of Tour Operators, NkereuwemOnung and the President, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents, AlhajiAminuAgoha have accepted to be among panel members at the event which is for Travel Trade Professionals.

Amb. Bianca Ojukwu will be cutting the tape to declare the Wedding & Spa Show open and formally opening the Akwaaba Travel Market. Bianca Ojukwu, the wife of the former Nigerian Leader Chief OdumeugwuOjukwu is also a former beauty queen who has since moved into Diplomacy, as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain & UNWTO.  Other VIP’s lined up to declare other Sessions open at the 3day Travel Trade Event .

The Wedding show is sponsored by Dubai Tourism in partnership with Emirates and will feature over 10 countries showcasing amazing Wedding & Honeymoon destinations, Weekend Getaways and Spa Sanctuaries.

Travelstart Nigeria which would be exhibiting at Akwaaba for the first time, hopes to extend its reach across Africa. According to the Head of Communications for Travelstart Nigeria, OluwakemiOjo said, “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this year’s AKWAABA African Travel Market Expo, to build on our existing affiliations, acquire competitive advantage for Travelstart and stay up-to-date with latest development in the travel industry.

Also, Samsung West-Africa a leading Technology company, in its bid to increase brand Visibility especially amongst Hoteliers and Resort Owners will be showcasing its Professional Displays, Hotel TV ranges, Smart Signage & IT products at Akwaaba 2015.

As sponsors of the Hospitality Day event, Samsung West-Africa will be sharing with Hotel & Resort Managers how they can improve their guest experience. According to Mr. Anu-RotimiAgboola (Head, Samsung Enterprise Business Solution -SMART Signage & SMART Hospitality Displays) “our participation at Akwaaba is more about brand visibility and we will be giving gifts to the Top 5 Hotel Winners of the Travellers top 100 Hotels in Lagos Polls. However, these Hotels must use Hotel TVs not consumer TVs. The advantage of Hotel TVs over Consumer TVs is that they give better guest experience by allowing guests personalize their experience”.

Other Guest Speakers are Mr. SanjoBamgboye- Director, Current Links Systems Ltd on “Facilitating Payment Innovation in Hospitality” and Mrs. Lilian Obinna-Igwe, Country Manager Travelstart Nigeria on “Online Booking in Africa and how it works”. There will also be a panellists made up of Top Hotel GMs across Africa to deliberate on the issues raised.

The Hospitality day at Akwaaba seeks to create a platform that would help provide knowledge about burning issues and raise Hotel standards in Africa. The Travellers top 100 Hotels in Lagos Polls winners will also be announced and receive their certificate at the event.

The Wine Tasting event follows immediately after from 4pm. Wine Tasting Event at the Hospitality Day presents an opportunity for Wine Producers from all parts of the World to Network and Market to over 50 Wine distributors from across Nigeria. It also offers wine distributors the opportunity to deal directly with wine producers eliminating the middle men. This event is open to all Hotel and Hospitality Professionals. Hospitality Day holds on the 24th Nov, 2015. Attendance is by registration. The paper ‘How to Know Your Wine’ will be anchored by Chief J.A Rowlands.

Akwaaba: African Travel Market will be taking place from the 22nd to the 24th of November 2015 at the Eko Hotels & Suites Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

AFTM is listed by United Nations World Organisation (UNWTO), a partner event of African Travel Association (ATA), partner with International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the only member of International Tourism Trade Fairs Association (ITTFA) in West Africa.

Category: Tourism Tags: Africa Travel Awards, AKWAABA, DawdaJawara, Dr Danny Jordaan, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto

US TO REOPEN EMBASSY IN CUBA

From USA Today Obama announces new U.S. embassy in Cuba http://usat.ly/1LUMrbr

AKWAABA African Travel Market Lagos invites You to 'GHANA " ACCRA WEIZO"

Akwaaba African Travel market the Organizer of the Annual Travel show in West Africa invite you to ACCRA WEIZO. The theme is "SEAMLESS TRAVEL IN WEST AFRICA". With a 4 days Tour of Accra.

At Accra Weizo, Aviation Meets immigration. It is a one day programme.

DATE: 3RD Of July.  2015.
VvENUE: La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.  Accra Ghana.

For Travel and Accommodation detail and Participation please contact:  akwaabatravelmarket@yahoo.com.

Hurry up.

SAA Technical Wins ATE&M Best Line Maintenance Service Provider Award -World’s Top Aircraft Maintenance Provider

South African Airways Technical (SAA Technical / SAAT) has claimed the prestigious title as the Best Line Maintenance Providerfor 2015 at the annual Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance Awards (ATE&M Awards) announced on Wednesday, 27 May 2015, at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London. 

SAA Technical competed for the title with several renowned global champions in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry. The shortlist for each category in this year’s ATE&M Awards were finalised following a public voting process that attracted a record number of votes. 

“Winning this award has certainly elevated SAA Technical to a formidable force in the global MRO sphere. This is a first for SAA Technical and is a victorious achievement,” says Musa Zwane, SAA Technical CEO.

 The prestigious Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance (ATE&M) Awards, now in its fifth year, is run by MRO Network and are designed to recognise the achievements of organisations and individuals within the maintenance, repair and overhaul sector of the commercial aerospace aftermarket. 

The competitors in the Best Line Maintenance category were:·   

#    Delta TechOps;·   

#    South African Airways Technical;·    

#    Storm Aviation;·      

#    STS Line Maintenance;

Congratulations to South African Airways Technical for doing South Africa and the African Continent proud Aviation sector,

 About SAA Technical

SAA Technical (SAAT), South African Airways’ world class aircraft maintenance division, remains the leading maintenance, repair and overhaul provider in Africa. SAAT has a broad skills base, with excellent facilities, local and international certifications and full maintenance capabilities that are based on the highest of safety standards, superior quality of service, the best maintenance reliability records in the world with Dispatch Reliability and turnaround times exceeding International Benchmark standards. Covering an area of 85,000 square metres in hangar space,

SAAT has been fully FAA-certified since the early 1990’s. SAAT serves an increasing number of local, regional and international airlines with highly trained, knowledgeable and experienced Engineers who attend to approximately 400 hundred flights daily. 

About South African Airways South African Airways (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa, serving 56 destinations, in partnership with SA Express, SA Airlink and its low cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent, and nine intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance.

SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; and Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA.

SAA is the winner of the 'Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for twelve consecutive years and the winner of ‘Service Excellence Africa’ for three years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spomts as South Africa’s most on - time airlines. SAA is also the recipient of the Skytrax 4-Star rating for 13 consecutive years. 

Cyprus Summer Season Underway and Looking Up 2015-05-23 BY PHIL BUTLER

On the broader front, having agreed to a €10 billion
euro bailout programme from the Troika of
international lenders (European Commission, European
Central Bank, IMF) in 2013, Cyprus floated a €750
million euro bond issue for the first time, to roll over
its current debt and lower the cost of state borrowing.
Passage of a package of measures to level out the
runaway non-performing loans at commercial banks,

The incomparable seaside on Cyprus – via Pixabay
According to the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO)
and the Cyprus Hotel Association (CHA), this year’s
summer tourism season outlook is very positive.
The Cyprus Mail reported last week that among the
top concerns for Cyprus officials is the reduction of
loss for Russian tourists, due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Also key for Cyprus this year was the expansion of the
market to include increases in French, Polish, Israeli,
and Arabic visitor's.
In a meeting of the board of the CHA, Chairman of the
Board of CTO Angelos Loizou commented;

AMATHUS HOTEL
AMATHUS HOTEL on Cyprus
For the would-be traveller to Cyprus, the overall
climate of travel presents a good number of deals for
short term or extended vacationing on the island. A
spot check direct for the luxury resort revealed a price
of € 1.897,00 for one week for two adults and one
child at Amathus in Limassol (image above). Of course
there are a wide range of accommodations and
packages available from many sources. We suggest
the reader consult the official Visit Cyprus portal, to
learn more.

Last month the Farmagusta Gazette reported tourist
arrivals for April at an increase of 11.3% over the
previous year’s figures. Overall Q1 of 2015 compared
to 2014 revealed an increase of 13.7% for the first
third of the year. Quoting the Statistical Service of the
Republic of Cyprus, the bad news is that Cyprus has
already lost 22.5% or more in tourism flows from
Russia (25.149 in April 2015 compared to 32.430 in
April 2014). To offset this, apparently Tourism Minister
George Lakkotrypis’ has figures that suggest inbound
tourists from Germany and elsewhere have patched
the hole in Cyprus’ tourism woes. Speaking at the
opening of the Travel Fair 2015, adding that compared
to last year, there is an increase in arrivals of 16%
overall, while a decrease of 4.4% in arrivals from
Russia has been registered.

Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus
On the broader front, having agreed to a €10 billion
euro bailout programme from the Troika of
international lenders (European Commission, European
Central Bank, IMF) in 2013, Cyprus floated a €750
million euro bond issue for the first time, to roll over
its current debt and lower the cost of state borrowing.
Passage of a package of measures to level out the
runaway non-performing loans at commercial banks,
have also helped remedy the country’s insolvency
woes too. News President Nicos Anastasiades (below)
and Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mustafa Akinci have
fostered positive movement toward the re-unification
of the Island have the investment world a buzz. A big
part of Cyprus’ ongoing touristic curtailment has been
the loss of fabulous resorts to the North of the island
such as Varosha, which is a veritable ghost town of
crumbling luxury resorts. A reunification of Cyprus, for
many experts, would be a travel and tourism boom if
the cards are played correctly.

For those unfamiliar, Cyprus relies heavily on tourism,
financial services and shipping as the most significant
economic sectors. Even with the recent Eurozone
woes, the country maintains one of the highest per
capita GDP’s in Europe. The discovery of offshore
natural gas reserves, the hint of a reunification, and
other positive tourism sector news says a lot about
Cyprus’ future. A resolution to the Ukraine crisis, the
potential of the so-called “Turkey Stream” gas pipeline
project looping Greece, Turkey, and Russia together,
also bears watching.