Professor Borishade dies at 71

Former Nigerian minister of education, Prof. Babalola Borishade, dies at the age of 71.

He died in London on Wednesday (today) after a brief illness.

He was initially rushed to Reddington Hospital in Lagos, last week from where he was taken to London. The cause of death was lung and heart-related.

Borishade was born in Usi- Ekiti on March 7, 1946 into the Ebi Ilotin family.

He served as a minister for four times, between 1999 and 2011.

The electrical engineer was also a teacher and a political strategist.

Between February 2001 and May 2003, he served as the Minister of Education.

In recognition of his contributions to Education in Nigeria, Africa and the World at large, Borishade was elected the Vice- Chairman of the E9 Group of the United Nations, President of the UNESCO International Conference on Education, as well as Chairman Education for All (EFA) Forum of African Ministers of Education.

In 2004, Borishade was appointed as Minister of State, Power and Steel.

He initiated the ‘Gas to Power Project (G2P), a World Bank sponsored project designed to ensure sustained gas development and availability for power production to meet Nigerian electricity demands.

Between July 2005 and November 2006, Borishade was Minister of Aviation, during which a Civil Aviation Bill was passed to replace the 1964 Act and the direct flight between Nigeria and the United States of America was restored.

His initiation of various reforms and development in the aviation sector resulted in Nigeria scoring 93 per cent in the ICAO Universal Audit which made Nigeria a benchmark to African Aviation Industry.

SOURCE: NAN

Qatar tourism growth to generates US$17.8 billion in visitor spending by 2030

Qatar tourism growth to generates US$17.8 billion in visitor spending by 2030

Zainab Junaid Elesho

Qatar Tourism Authority to highlight its experiential offering at Arabian Travel Market - culture and heritage to drive visitor numbers towards 10 million target
Experiential travel, the main theme of this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is driving tourism growth in Qatar, as the country works towards its 2030 ambitions to welcome 10 million visitors a year and generate US$17.8 billion in tourism receipts.

A research released ahead of ATM 2017, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre 24-27 April, has revealed that Qatar is looking up to generate 5.2% of its GDP through tourism over the coming years, creating 98,000 jobs and managing an inventory of 63,000 hotel rooms
.

"A perfect example of experiential travel is Souq Waqif in Doha, which offers several small shops lined along paths with an array of Middle Eastern merchandise, from spices and seasonal delicacies to perfumes, jewelry, clothing and handicrafts," the research says.

While the country’s culture and heritage remains of paramount importance, Qatar is also set to invest up to US$45 billion in new developments under the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030. These according to the release, includes US$2.3 billion earmarked for 2022 World Cup facilities and $6.9 billion for transport infrastructure and associated projects.

Speaking on this development, Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, said: “Qatar’s well-paced National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 will steadily boost tourism numbers over the coming decade, with the first milestone of four million visitors a year by 2020, well on track.

“The government, hotel operators, airlines, and other stakeholders, are now beginning to see a return on their investment into the country’s tourism sector. Once again we see the leisure industry driving growth in another major GCC destination and this is a trend we expect to continue at least until the end of the decade.”

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) predicts the tourism sector’s total economic contribution will reach QAR 81.2 billion (7.3% of its GDP) by 2026, up from QAR 48.5 billion in 2015.

In 2015, QTA says investment in travel and tourism activity comprised 2.2% of the country’s total funding, with this expected to rise by 8.6% per annum to 2026. The introduction of new demand drivers will be vital to supporting the continued rise in leisure spending, which is expected to reach values of QAR 44.9 billion in 2026, while business travel spending is expected to rise to QAR 17.5 billion in 2026.

Qatar is already the fastest growing destination in the region in terms of visitors arrivals, averaging 11.5% growth over the past five years, according to data from the QTA. The Authority’s Tourism Performance Summary, for the third quarter of 2016, recorded arrivals of 2.18 million visitors in the first nine months of the year, including more than one million GCC nationals.

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) saw passenger traffic jump 20% in 2016, handling some 37.3 million passengers, a leap of 7.3 million from the previous year. The surge is partly attributed to the operator Qatar Airways’ fast growth, which included 14 additional destinations last year. The airline giant has also announced the world’s longest flight by duration - a 17+ hour route from Auckland to Doha"QTA says.

"Arrivals in 2017 will also receive a boost from the cruise season, running October 2016 to April 2017. It is expected up to 30 ships will dock in Doha during the current season generating 55,000 visitors. This could reach as many as 250,000 passengers by the 2018/19 season.

"In order to deal with the expected demand, Qatar currently has 22,921 hotel rooms with a further 15,956 rooms under contract, representing a 69% increase in total stock in the current pipeline. The country posted a decline in hotel performance across all key metrics over 2016, as overall occupancy dropped 12.2%, ADR fell by 7.5% and RevPAR fell by 18.8%.

"ATM 2017 will showcase exhibits from Qatar’s biggest tourism brands, including the Qatar Tourism Authority, Qatar Airways, Katara Hospitality, which operates its own hotel brands in Qatar and owns a number of heritage properties across Europe; Doha Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, The Ritz Carlton Hotel, Qatar, and Hotel Royal Savoy, Lausanne,"

QTA maintained.

Tourism numbers increase 15% as Oman rolls out $billion investment plan
Total investment in travel and tourism set to hit $1.17 billion by 2026; Visitor numbers increase 15% through October 2016; Hotel occupancy rates forecasted to rise by 3% this year; Sultanate to go on charm offensive at Arabian Travel Market 2017
ZAINAB JUNAID ELESHO

Oman’s tourism and hospitality industry is building momentum, with total investment in the sector set to hit US$1.17 billion by 2026, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The Sultanate returns to Arabian Travel Market (ATM) at Dubai World Trade Centre this year (April 24-27) to showcase its expanding hotel and tourism infrastructure pipeline following a successful 2016 with visitor numbers in the first ten months of the year growing to reach 2.5 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 15%.
Speaking on this development, Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, noted that “It is no wonder that Oman is so popular and was recently named as one of the top ten places to visit in 2017 by a selection of the world’s top media. The country boasts a fantastic mix of culture, history and adventure for travelers, while the $120 million Majarat Oman futuristic theme park, set to open in 2017, will add to the huge selection of options available for families.”
“A report from Colliers International said: “Although the country faces significant competition with other popular regional destinations, Oman has been able to distinguish itself as a unique tourism destination, being home to many eco, cultural and heritage attractions.”
The Colliers report also revealed that with the recent opening of the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, which is expected to host around 28 exhibition events in 2017, the market is projected to see a slight recovery, with the hotel occupancy forecasted to close at 58%.”
Simon Press affirmed further that area of growth for Oman is through passengers arriving at the country’s airports, with a 17% increase in total airport arrivals through to the end of December 2017, while the new terminal at Muscat International Airport, which is expected to open this year, will have a capacity of 12 million passengers per annum.
“Salalah International Airport (SAIA) has a current capacity of one million travelers annually with the ability to increase this further by up to six million. And six other airports are either in planning or construction phase, including the new airport at Ras Al Hadd.
“Oman’s tourism industry continues to grow and its offering keeps expanding to cater for the diverse needs of today’s travelers. Experiential tourism is the spotlight theme of ATM 2017 and this is central to the whole tourism experience in Oman,” Press added
Among the Oman-based exhibitors already committed to participating at this year’s ATM include: Sex Senses Zighy Bay Resort & Spa, Al Bustan Palace Ritz Carlton, Anantara Jabal Akhdar Resort, Kempinski Hotel Muscat, Shangri_la Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa and Intercontinental Muscat.
Press maintained that, “ATM which is considered by many industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance increase of 9% to over 28,500 in 2016, with 2,785 exhibiting companies, signing business deals worth more than US$ 2.5 billion over four days.
ATM 2017 will build on its success with the announcement of an additional hall as Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its record-breaking achievements of 2016.”

Saudi tourism to reach $81 billion by 2026

-New leisure facilities forecast to fuel domestic tourism at over 7.5% per year until 2020
-61,224 hotel rooms currently in the pipeline to meet projected demand from domestic and religious tourism
-Arabian Travel Market to showcase the best of the Kingdom’s tourist attractions

Zainab Junaid Elesho

Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector is expected to contribute more than $81 billion to the country’s GDP by 2026. This was contained in a data from the World Travel and Tourism Council,just as exhibitors are preparing for what the Kingdom has to offer at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM).

ATM will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 23-27 2017.
This is being driven, in part, by domestic tourism - the number of local tourist trips inside Saudi Arabia, exceeded 47.5 million last year (2016) - a 2.3% rise compared to 2015.

Under the Saudi Government’s Vision 2030, plans are afoot to increase household spending on cultural and entertainment activities inside the country, from 2.9% to 6%.
Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM 2017, stated that “Plans are already well underway to achieve this target. The government has appointed the board of the General Entertainment Authority, and Six Flags has revealed exciting plans to expand into the country, with the first entertainment park scheduled to open as soon as 2020-21.

“Vision 2030 also seeks to double the number of UNESCO heritage sites to encourage more domestic tourism, while both Holy Mosques have large expansion plans, and Makkah and Madinah have major infrastructure works underway or in the pipeline that would assist with travel to and within these religious sites.”

Saudi exhibitors at ATM 2017 will highlight what the Kingdom has to offer and the exciting developments in the pipeline. As well as the possible Six Flags theme park, Riyadh is also expected to see the opening of two major shopping malls: Mall of Saudi, with 300,000 square metres of retail and entertainment space, a large snow park and hotels, and The Avenues Riyadh, a $1.9bn shopping complex. Another mega project that is bound to draw Saudi tourists includes Kingdom Tower in Jeddah – proposed to be the world’s next tallest building.

Also, Colliers International’s Saudi Arabia Hospitality Market report revealed domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia will grow by 7.5% per annum until 2020, compared to 6.1% for overseas visitors.
Earlier this month, Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, said Saudi Arabia will become ‘one of the biggest players’ in the industry. This followed news of additional government investment in tourism totaling $800 million.
To cope with the projected demand, there are an additional 61,224 hotel rooms in the pipeline across Saudi Arabia, despite major cities experiencing an overall drop in occupancy levels and average daily rates in 2016, as a result of low oil prices, precautionary corporate and overall government cuts in spending.
Leading global data benchmarking company STR said hotel occupancy levels in Saudi Arabia in 2016 was 59.5%, an overall drop of 4.8% on the previous year. Average daily rates (ADR) were also down 3.9% to SAR 764.08, while RevPAR stood at SAR 454.85, a fall of 8.5%.
“We expect 2017 to be more positive, with a particularly strong focus on leisure, religious and domestic tourism as the country looks to increase the contribution from the non-oil sectors,” added Press.
ATM - considered by many industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance increase of 9% to over 28,500 in 2016, with 2,785 exhibiting companies, signing business deals worth more than US$ 2.5 billion over four days.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, ATM 2017 will build on its success with the announcement of an additional hall as Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its record-breaking achievements of 2016.

Flying High on Controlled Explosions

Flying High on Controlled Explosions (Hydrogen)

ZAINAB JUNAID ELESHO

Recent research has revealed that the dream to attaining a sustainable and seamless air travel will soon come to reality as a team of researchers in Germany flew a plane that emits water vapor into the atmosphere.
The twin-cabin plane known as HY4 uses a hybrid system of hydrogen fuel cells- devices producing an electrical current from a supply of hydrogen and oxygen -- aided by a battery for extra oomph during takeoff, and a lithium battery to fly.
Researchers affirmed that the four-seater aircraft had its maiden flight from Stuttgart Airport in Germany in September. “It's the result of collaboration between aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel, fuel cell specialists Hydrogenics, the University of Ulm and the German Aerospace Center (DLR)'s Institute of Engineering and Thermodynamics,” they said.
"This is the first time that somebody has built an airplane that can carry more than one person and which is driven by hydrogen," Andre Thess, director of the Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics at DLR, who sees HY4 as a major leap toward decarbonizing air travel, commented on the development

He added that “Emission-free planes could be the air taxis of the future. The team aims to use fuel cells to power small and medium-sized passenger planes, which could change regional air travel and provide an alternative to carbon-emitting airplanes, buses and trains.
Josef Kallo, HY4 project leader at DLR and a professor at the University of Ulm, thinks we could also see emission-free air taxis flying from city to city within the next 20 years.”
"Say you want to go between Irvine and Ventura in the Los Angeles area. It can take you between one and a half and three hours if there are traffic jams, but by plane it will take you around 35 to 40 minutes.
"And within a controlled airspace you could have a lot of these planes flying around."
The electrical system is also very quiet compared to conventional planes, as it does not have the same loud combustion roar as a jet engine, which makes it ideal for flying near residential areas, Kallo says.

Dana Air Cries Over Hike Airport Charges …Begins Daily Flights From Lagos To Owerri

Dana Air Cries Over Hike Airport Charges
…Begins Daily Flights From Lagos To Owerri

ZAINAB JUNAID ELESHO

Just as Dana Air commenced daily flights from Lagos to Owerri with an introductory online fare of N12, 600 one way, the airline lamented over the challenges facing domestic airlines which includes hike in fuel price, multiple charges and high exchange rate among others.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos today, the airline's Accountable Manager, Mr Obi Mbanuzuo complain about the multiple charges paid by domestic airlines in the country and the negative impact it has on the operations of these airlines.

To him, “These charges have drastic negative impact and if it can be merged or eliminated, it will help the present situation of airlines. As it stands, airlines pay a statutory charge, which is fine, but some other charges, which the airlines need to grapple with, are not even applicable in other climes.’’

He cited cases where airlines peg fares in naira and have to pay for necessary maintenance in hard currency as one of the challenges facing airlines in the country.

Secondly, he continued that "For us as an airline, we are concerned about providing affordable regional air transport services and we will be happy if the government can enter favorable agreements and create policies that will favor domestic airlines so that the burden  will generally reduced on the flying public. This is because flyers bear the burden mostly through fare.”

On another development, the airline's vision, Mbanuzuo said remains to be recognised and respected as Nigeria’s most reliable and customer-friendly airline’ and her mission is ‘to earn the loyalty and respect of its customers by consistently demonstrating its commitment to service and providing affordable regional air transport services that focus on innovation, quality and service excellence.

Obi confirmed that Dana Air currently operates daily flights to Abuja, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Uyo and that the airline will extend its operations to other cities in Nigeria as part of its strategic route expansion plans.
He stated that the airline was committed to providing safe, reliable and pocket friendly service to the flying public.

‘’ We commenced daily flights from Lagos to Owerri and back with an online fare we feel will be suitable for all. The fare is just our way of thanking our loyal guests on Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Uyo routes for visiting our websitewww.flydanaair.com daily to book their tickets," he maintained.

NCAA Warns Foreign Airlines Against Selling Tickets In Dollar

NCAA Warns Foreign Airlines Against Selling Tickets In Dollar
…Actions Contradict Article 8(4) Of BASA

ZAINAB JUNAID ELESHO

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned foreign airlines operating in the country to desist from selling tickets in Dollars, as it is contrary to the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries contained in Article 8 (4).

A statement signed by the General Manager of Public Relations, Mr Sam Adurogboye depicted that the action of these airlines is a flagrant contravention of Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) prerequisite guiding cost of products or services in Nigeria.

Adurogboye in the statement affirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) circular issued on April 17, 2015, directed that “Pricing of any product shall continue to be in Naira only and it is illegal to price or denominate the cost of any product or service (visible or invisible) in any foreign currency.”

NCAA, he said, is hereby seeking the indulgence of those foreign airlines that are declining to accept Nigeria’s local currency- (Naira) as mode of ticket payment, but have blatantly resorted to selling tickets only in foreign currency to stop doing so.

"This is because the foreign airlines' actions are considered insensitive to passengers, who have decided on their own volition to choose the airlines for their travel.

“It is also contrary to the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries as contained in Article 8 (4)”.
Adurogboye said.

Though, the names of the foreign airlines involved in the act were not made known ,Adurogboye stated that NCAA had written warning letters to the erring airlines to immediately comply with the provisions of BASA and CBN directive, stressing that sales of tickets and services should henceforth be offered to air travellers in Naira without further delay.

He further assured foreign airlines that the Federal Government of Nigeria has taken measures to ameliorate the subsisting foreign exchange issues.