Top travel and tourism articles on Stears Business
We will always remember 2020 in history as one of those "I never expected it" moments. Like other historical years, once an intense & sometimes life-threatening event takes place, we feel the ripple effect across all spheres. Travel was one of those sectors hit gravely by the pandemic.
A recent article on Stears Business reports that a global interruption in travel in 2020 accounted for a loss of about $1.3 trillion to world tourism. Now the coast is clear, or somewhat—the world had begun to open up by easing lockdown restrictions, and travel has been on the mind of a lot of people. So, before booking that ticket or scheduling your next trip, we've curated a list of travel stories to guide you on your next departure.
1. What the new normal for air travel looks like
Ever wondered how the coronavirus affected the aviation industry? Although the government gave domestic flights the green light almost a year ago, the impact travel restrictions had on the industry is one that players are still counting their losses from. In our first article for this week's library, we give you an insight into the new normal of travel and the situation here at home as Nigerian airlines struggle to ramp up travel services again.
Read the full story here.
2. Why do Nigerians pay so much to travel
In December 2019, the price for a one-way ticket from Lagos-Abuja was roughly ₦100,000, and even though there was much noise about the price hike, consumers still paid. As the demand for travel may potentially increase this year, why are specific routes more expensive than others? Operational costs such as aviation fuel and tax remittance are few reasons for this. However, are these airlines justifiable in their pricing strategies considering the decline in customer service? This free to read article answers this question and more.
Read the full story here.
3. Inside Nigeria's airports and the struggle for profit
Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is the 5th busiest in Africa, serving eight million passengers per year. But despite being Africa's 5th largest, profitability is still a problem. Issues like low passenger traffic, improper cargo facilities, amongst others, are reeling in losses for Nigeria's airports. One way out of this is a concession. This article makes a case for it and addresses the underlying solutions these airports can utilise to bolster revenue.
Read the full story here.
4. Tour companies are showing Nigerians hidden parts of their country
The travel and tourism sectors go hand in hand, having what biologists call a symbiotic relationship. One without the other may potentially wane off. Nigeria is known for many things, but tourism is not on the top of the list. Interestingly, domestic tourism was on the rise last year due to borders being closed. But what does tourism in Nigeria look like? This story provides knowledge on some hidden gems that can make your travel bucket list.
Read the full story here.
5. 60 facts about road and air transportation in Nigeria
Who doesn't love fun facts? Here at Stears Business, we've compiled some road and air travel statistics that'll help you sound smarter while engaging in an inflight conversation with a passenger seated beside you.
Read the full story here
6. Why Nigerian airlines keep failing
Bellview, ChanChangi and Medview Airlines, what do these all have in common? The rise and fall of airlines in Nigeria is one grey area that lingers in the minds of frequent flyers and curious individuals. The ability to manage and maintain costs are factors that plague the airline industry. This in-depth analysis of owning an airline business highlights the cost and revenue struggles that make failure a norm.
Read the full story here.
7. Landmarks in Nigeria: An untapped economy
As the world started to slowly open up last year, the great landmarks of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the UK’s Tower of London and Rome's Colosseum quickly took up more space in the photo albums of tourists. The attraction for cities ranges from the culture to the significant history behind the landmarks they play host to. Now, Nigeria has its fair share of landmarks but how can we make them successful—contributing meaningfully to economic development?
The Independence Tower, for instance, has no online presence. This is despite the government spending at least ₦7 billion on a 50 year anniversary, part of which was used to create the 18-metre tower. This article shows the factors needed to build the significance of our monuments and attract tourists from home and abroad.
Read the full story here.
8. Why local Nigerian flights are always late
If you've ever travelled through any of Nigeria's local airports, there's a high chance your flight was delayed or cancelled. This is the norm. There are good enough reasons for flight cancellations, such as bad weather. But what happens when the skies are clear, and yet you're seated at the airport lounge anticipating a second delay announcement?
This story from 2018 is a thorough probe behind Nigerian flight delays. We wrote about how better regulation and supervision could prevent deliberate and operational delays. Interestingly, flight delays are now being tackled in Nigeria, by what some would say are the most generous consumer protection laws for air travellers across the world. Would the new laws work, or are there more nuanced reasons for flight delays?
Read the full story here.
9. How Abuja illustrates Nigeria's deep inequality
The semi-finale in our top stories' list is from our Editor in Chief, Tokunbo. His first trip to Abuja provides a new lens into Nigeria's inequality problem and its potential effects on economic growth and insecurity—all via road travel. Enjoy!
Read the full story here.
10. Can open sky policies improve intra-African air travel?
Our final article for the day is also our latest air travel story. Prepare to learn how intra-African air travel became difficult, expensive and in many cases ridiculously inefficient.
Thankfully, there are policies now designed to solve it, and this story analyses them too. It tackles the concept of increased air connectivity through open skies policies and how it can work favourably for Nigerian airline operators.
Read the full article here